Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain, Anxiety, and Vital Signs of the Patients Undergoing Port Catheter Implantation

The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain, Anxiety, and Vital Signs of Oncology Patients Undergoing Port Catheter Implantation: A Randomized Controlled Study

This study aimed to determine the effect of virtual reality on pain, anxiety, and vital signs of oncology patients undergoing port catheter implantation. The study was carried out with 139 participants (69 intervention, 70 control) between September 2019 and January 2020. A patient identification form, state anxiety inventory, a table for vital signs, and a visual analog scale for pain severity were used for the data collection. Data were collected from the patients before, during, and after the implantation. In the intervention group, a virtual reality device, movies, and relaxing music were provided to the patients.

To determine the effect of virtual reality (VR) on pain, anxiety, and vital signs of oncology patients undergoing port catheter implantation. The study was a randomized controlled study. The study was carried out with 139 participants (69 intervention, 70 control) between September 2019 and January 2020. Data were collected before, during, and after the implantation by using a patient identification form, State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), a table for vital signs, and a visual analog scale for pain severity. In the intervention group, a virtual reality device, movies, and relaxing music were provided and patients were instructed to use it during the implantation and when they felt pain after the implantation. Data of the study were analyzed with IBM SPSS v25.0.

Inclusion Criteria:

• aged 18 years and older, can communicate in Turkish, being diagnosed with cancer, and undergoing port catheter implantation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• being have chronic pain or anxiety disorders, using any type of analgesic or anxiolytic, and diagnosed with epilepsy were excluded from the study. The patients who have a visual impairment or also excluded from the study. Patients diagnosed with brain cancer or have brain metastasis were excluded from the study considering the potential seizures. During the intervention, the interventions were ended for the patients who experienced headache or dizziness (two most common problems caused by VR) and data of these patients were not included in the analysis.