Pain management with virtual reality in burn patients: a literature review

Abstract

Burns are injuries to the skin or the underlying tissue system caused by heat, radiation, electricity, friction or chemicals. Burns can cause pain and discomfort during dressing changes; a person's pain response varies depending on individual perception. The pain response can indicate tissue damage in the body, as pain causes a person to experience discomfort. Pain can be interpreted as a subjective sensory response and an unpleasant emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is usually managed with pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy. An example of non-pharmacological therapy is the use of distraction techniques, such as virtual reality (VR). VR diverts pain by creating a 3D environment with a screen and VR glasses. It allows the patient to immerse themselves in a virtual world complete with sound and music. The volume can be adjusted as needed and the patient can interact with the virtual world. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics and effectiveness of VR pain management in burn patients. The method used in this study is a literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Review (PRISMA). The authors searched for journal articles using the Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, covering the period from 2015–2023. The keywords used were pain management, virtual reality and burn injury. Based on the predetermined inclusion criteria, 10 articles were selected for the review. The results of this study, based on the analysis of 10 articles, indicated that the distraction or transition method (non-pharmacological management using VR) was effective in reducing pain and discomfort during dressing changes in patients with mild to moderate burns, across various age groups from infants and children to adults. Clinicians can leverage VR technology to tailor interventions based on individual patient needs, across all age groups, enhancing patient comfort and engagement during procedures.