Virtual reality reduces interventional radiology procedure pain, anxiety

Using virtual reality (VR)-based sedation during interventional radiology procedures reduces patient pain and anxiety, researchers have found. And it appears to do so without increasing procedure time, according to a team led by Ryan Schaake of Temple University in Philadelphia. The study results were published March 12 in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. "While it has not been the standard of care to medically treat patient anxiety during these procedures, high anxiety levels have been associated with longer procedure times, increased need for medication, and exacerbated physiological stress," the group wrote. "Both preoperative and postoperative anxiety levels have been shown to be positively correlated with self-reported pain." As use of invasive interventional procedures has grown, interest in nonpharmacological methods to ease patients' anxiety and pain has as well, the team noted. And drug-based sedation isn't necessary for interventional procedures such as PICC placements and thyroid biopsies, which are performed with local anesthesia. The team investigated whether using a VR tool could improve patient experiences via a study that included 107 patients undergoing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) thyroid biopsy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard of care or standard of care plus VR assistance during these procedures. The researchers measured patients' pain and anxiety using...
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