Virtual Reality and Guided Imagery to Reduce Procedural Pain

Virtual Reality and Guided Imagery to Reduce Pain During Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Procedure in Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of virtual reality and guided imagery to reduce pain during peripheral intravenous catheterization procedures in adults.Methods: The study will include 90 adults who were randomly selected between February and March 2025. One application group (n=30) will receive a virtual reality glasses application; the other application group (n=30) will receive a guided imagery application. The applications to the site of the peripheral intravenous catheterization will last two minutes. The control group (n=30) will receive the standard peripheral intravenous catheterization application procedure. The groups' level of pain during catheterization will be assessed using a visual analog scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being in accordance with time and place
• Being in no sensory problems
• Being aged between 18 and 65 years
• Being able to evaluate the visual analog scale correctly
• Participating voluntarily in the research.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not participating voluntarily in the research
• Not fitting the inclusion criteria of the research
• Having a vision or hearing problem
• Having any illness which could affect pain perception, such as sensorymotor disorder, diabetes, peripheral vascular diseases or peripheral neuropathy
• Having phlebitis, scar tissue, dermatitis, an incision or findings of infection at the place where the intervention was to be performed
• Having taken an analgesic (within the previous six hours) or an anesthetic agent before the peripheral intravenous catheterization procedure