Comparing the Effect of Guided Visualization and Virtual Reality Techniques on Cannulation Pain in Hemodialysis Patients
Author(s): Amirreza Nasirzadeh*, Seyed Farzin Mircheraghi, Milad Ghodrati and Habib Shareinia
Abstract
Introduction: The cannulation of arteriovenous fistula [AVF] is a painful procedure in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of guided visualization and virtual reality techniques on cannulation pain in hemodialysis patients.
Method: The present pre and post-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 58 hemodialysis patients selected by convenience sampling method. The guided visualization technique was used twice before hemodialysis to attenuate the cannulation pain, followed by the virtual reality technique twice after two weeks. The data collection tools were demographic information form and VAS.
Results: The mean score of pain after intervention was significantly decreased with both techniques and this decrease was more in intervention with virtual reality (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The results showed that both distraction techniques are effective in relieving the severity of cannulation pain in hemodialysis patients, and virtual reality, owing to greater effect, is a proposed intervention to reduce pain in these patients.