Monitoring pain during use of virtual reality in debridement procedures of vascular wounds in outpatient care settings.

Introduction: Virtual Reality (VR) is an advanced technological system which, besides its use in entertainment and education, has been permanently introduced over the past quarter-century into physical and psychiatric rehabilitation as well as medicine. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in pain management during medical and rehabilitation procedures in burn patients, alleviation of cancer pain, and reduction of labor pain. VR is increasingly used during routine medical procedures in children, such as blood sampling, intravenous cannulation, and vaccination, and holds promise for chronic pain management. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess pain during the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds of vascular origin using VR as an adjunct non-pharmacological pain therapy. Materials and methods: An observational study was conducted in a chronic wound care clinic involving 100 patients. The mean age was 68.02 ± 10.0 years. All participants had hard-to-heal wounds of vascular origin. The mean wound duration was 7.16 ± 5.08 months, with an average wound area of 39.18 ± 71.83 cm Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in pain assessment before and during wound debridement ( Conclusion: Increased pain during procedures involving manipulation of damaged tissues and wound debridement is a common phenomenon. This study confirmed that the use of VR goggles reduces perceived pain levels. The assessment of pain experience and intensity varies depending on the assessment tools used; therefore, a combined quantitative and qualitative evaluation is recommended to accurately determine the usefulness of innovative tools in clinical practice.