ArticleEinstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil)2025
Impact of a serious immersive virtual reality game in managing pain during venous or catheter procedures in Pediatric Oncology.
Article in Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Immersive Virtual Reality for Pediatric Procedural Pain and Anxiety: A Structured Narrative Review and Developmentally Informed Framework for Clinical Matching and AI-Supported Personalization.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Review
- Key factors influencing children's cooperation during electromyography: a correlation analysis of Age, gender, and pain management.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo analyze the impact of a serious immersive virtual reality game on the physiological and behavioral aspects of pain during peripheral venous access or central catheter puncture in children and adolescents with cancer.
methodsThis was a longitudinal intervention study that included 50 children and adolescents undergoing cancer therapy and peripheral venipuncture or venous catheter puncture (totally implanted or central venous catheter) at two independent time points (control and experimental intervention). The intervention consisted of playing a serious immersive virtual reality game with three-dimensional goggles and a Bluetooth controller. The patients were monitored for alterations in physiological (heart rate and oxygen saturation) and behavioral (agitation, crying, and pain assessed using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised and Visual Analogue Scale) parameters. An agreement analysis was conducted by calculating the weighted kappa coefficient; p was obtained using Bowker's symmetry test.
resultsUse of immersive virtual reality significantly reduced heart rate, improved pain control as assessed by the Faces Pain Scale-Revised, and decreased agitation and crying.
conclusionSerious immersive virtual reality games reduce pain and distress during repetitive and uncomfortable procedures such as venipuncture and venous catheter puncture in children and adolescents with cancer. This strategy is simple to implement, cost-effective, and should be considered by health care services assisting pediatric patients with cancer.
background■ Immersive virtual reality reduced heart rate, pain, agitation, and crying during pediatric venipuncture.
background■ This technology effectively reduced pain during repeated invasive procedures, including catheter punctures.
background■ The serious game strategy is low-cost, easy to implement, and well-suited for pediatric oncology care.
backgroundVarious pain management strategies are employed for children undergoing cancer treatment. Silva et al. prospectively evaluated an innovative approach using an immersive serious game for pain control. The intervention significantly reduced pain perception during venipuncture. Herein, we evaluate immersive virtual reality for pain management in pediatric oncology care.
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