Effect of Virtual Reality Technology for Pain Management of Vaso-Occlusive Crisis in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trial

Official title:

Pain Management of Vaso-Occlusive Crisis in Children and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease-Effect of Virtual Reality Technology

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03353584
• Other study ID #: PMVOCVR
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 5, 2018
• Est. completion date: December 2024

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Contact: Michael Frett, MD
• Phone: 866-278-5833
• Email: referralinfo[@]stjude.org
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Acute vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is the most common complication in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and pain related to VOC is often inadequately treated. This is a phase II randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of virtual reality technology when added to standard pain management for patients with sickle cell disease who are experiencing acute pain crisis in the ambulatory care setting. Patients will be randomized to receive either standard management only or standard management in addition to virtual reality therapy. The remainder of care for the painful event will continue per institutional standards according to clinical indication, including reassessment and documentation of pain and additional doses of pain medicines by intravenous (IV) or oral route. Pain scores and opioid requirement will be measured and compared across treatment arms, along with the outcomes of discharge from clinic versus admission to the inpatient unit.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) technology in reducing pain at 30 minutes after intervention during an acute vaso-occlusive crisis in patients with sickle cell disease. Primary endpoint will be change in pain scores in Standard versus VR arms, between the first pain assessment at the time of presentation and the subsequent pain assessments up to 30 minutes after intervention.

Secondary Objectives:

• To compare total opioid consumption from the time of presentation to the time of discharge from acute care setting in Standard versus VR arms.

• To assess the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) technology in reducing pain at 60 minutes after the first IV medication administered or 60 minutes after completion VR during an acute vaso-occlusive crisis in patients with sickle cell disease.

Description:

After consenting to participate in this study, patients will be randomized to receive either standard care therapy for VOC or to receive standard care therapy plus a 15-minute virtual reality (VR) session. They will be additionally randomized into strata by age: 6 to 11 years, 12 to 18 years, and 19 to 25 years. At the end of therapy or therapy plus the VR session, they will be asked to complete a 5-minute satisfaction survey. Information will also be collected from the medical record about the pain episode, including pain scores, medicines used, and time needed for pain to lessen.

Standard care for management of an acute VOC includes parenteral hydration and pain management with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, such as Toradol or Ibuprofen, and opioids. Pain scores will be measured at three different time points: baseline at presentation, at 30±10 minutes after first intravenous (IV) analgesic medication, and at 60±10 minutes after first IV analgesic medication.

Use of VR will be included in addition to the standard care for management of patients randomized to VR arm. VR is an interactive technology that allows the user to interface with a three dimensional computer-generated environment by means of a lightweight head mounted display. The user is transported into a relaxing VR environment that diverts their attention away from pain. The duration of VR session is 15 minutes. Pain scores will be measured at three different time points: baseline at presentation, at 15±10 minutes after completion of VR therapy, and at 60±10 minutes after completion of VR therapy.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 76
• Est. completion date: December 2024
• Est. primary completion date: December 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 6 Years to 25 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant must have sickle cell disease (any genotype), documented in the St. Jude medical record.

• Participant must be seeking care for acute VOC pain at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

• Participant age must be = 6 years and = 25 years.

• English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior randomization in this study.

• Patients are currently enrolled on another pain management interventional trial for the presenting pain crisis.

• Mild pain (score <4), or pain for which treatment with opioid is not indicated.

• Pain in combination with other clinical symptoms that require additional interventions, including fever with focus, acute chest syndrome, acute injury, or splenic sequestration.

• Developmental or psychiatric disorders like autism, claustrophobia or other disabilities like vision and hearing defects etc. that preclude the use of a head mounted device.

• Inability or unwillingness of research participant or legal guardian/ representative to give written informed consent.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anemia, Sickle Cell
• Sickle Cell Disease
• Vaso-occlusive Crisis

Intervention

Other:
• Virtual Reality Therapy
The VR intervention consists of an interactive audio and visual underwater experience designed to serve as a calming distraction activity. The VR software (Kind VR® Aqua) was developed by KindVR specifically for the purpose of pain distraction in a hospital setting.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center	Memphis	Tennessee
United States	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	Memphis	Tennessee

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in pain scores	The highest pain score based on all scores at different body pain locations is used as the pain score. The changes in pain scores in two arms between baseline and 30 minutes post study intervention will be summarized and compared using Wilcoxon rank sum test at a significance level of 0.1.	Baseline and up to 30 minutes after intervention

External Links

•   Clinical Trials Open at St. Jude
•   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital