Feasibility and potential effect of a low-cost virtual reality system on reducing pain and anxiety in adult burn injury patients during physiotherapy in a developing country.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to ascertain the feasibility and potential effect of a low-cost VR system (eMagin Z800 3DVisor), used in conjunction with pharmacological analgesia, on reducing pain and anxiety in adult burn patients undergoing physiotherapy treatment, compared to pharmacologic analgesia alone at a South African hospital.


METHODS
Single-blind, within-subject study design.


METHODS
Pain and anxiety outcome measures were measured by a blinded assessor using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Burn Specific Pain and Anxiety Scale. Box-and-whisker plot method, Chi-square tests as well as the Student's paired t-test were used to analyze data.


RESULTS
Eleven eligible adult burn patients consented to participate in this study (3 female, 8 male; median age 33 years: range 23-54 years). A marginal (p=0.06) to insignificant (p=0.13) difference between the two sessions (analgesia with VR and analgesia without VR) in reducing pain was found. No significant difference (p=0.58) was found between the two sessions (analgesia with VR and analgesia without VR) for anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
There seems to be a trend that the low-cost VR system, when added to routine pharmacological analgesics, is a safe technique and could be of considerable benefit if implemented into the pain management regime of burn units at a South African hospital.
Morris
Linzette Deidré
LD
Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa. ldmorris@sun.ac.za
Louw
Quinette Abegail
QA
Crous
Lynette Christine
LC
D000328:Adult; D000698:Analgesia / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011594:Psychometrics; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013019:South Africa; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult