title: Effect of virtual reality distraction on pain among patients with hand injury undergoing dressing change.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of virtual reality distraction on pain among patients with a hand injury undergoing a dressing change.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Virtual reality distraction can effectively alleviate pain among patients undergoing a dressing change. Clinical research has not addressed pain control during a dressing change.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised controlled trial was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first dressing change sequence, 98 patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 49 cases in each group. Pain levels were compared between the two groups before and after the dressing change using a visual analog scale. The sense of involvement in virtual environments was measured using the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, which determined the relationship between the sense of involvement and pain level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference in visual analog scale scores between the two groups before the dressing change was not statistically significant (t = 0·196, p > 0·05), but the scores became statistically significant after the dressing change (t = -30·792, p < 0·01). The correlation between the sense of involvement in a virtual environment and pain level during the dressing was statistically significant (R(2) = 0·5538, p < 0·05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Virtual reality distraction can effectively alleviate pain among patients with a hand injury undergoing a dressing change. Better results can be obtained by increasing the sense of involvement in a virtual environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Virtual reality distraction can effectively relieve pain without side effects and is not reliant on a doctor's prescription. This tool is convenient for nurses to use, especially when analgesics are unavailable.
authors.affiliation: Outpatient Surgery, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.
authors.forename: Chunlan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001458:Bandages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics
keywords: adult nursing; dressing change; hand injury; pain; virtual reality