Changing the View of Pain: Using Virtual Reality As Adjunctive Therapy for Sickle Cell Pain in Pediatric Patients
The goal of this randomized control clinical trial is to learn if virtual reality can be used to treat sickle cell pain in children. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does virtual reality reduce pain severity during a child's hospital stay for a vaso-occlusive pain crisis? Does virtual reality decrease the daily use of opiates? Researchers will compare standard therapy to the use of standard therapy plus a daily virtual reality experience to see if virtual reality works to treat sickle cell pain. All patients will: \- Be asked to fill out a pain assessment survey three times daily for up to 3 days If randomized to intervention arm, patients will: * Participate in an immersive virtual reality experience once daily for up to 3 days * Fill out a survey twice daily to monitor for side effects from virtual reality experience * Fill out a satisfaction survey once during the study period
• Patient ≥ 8 up to 21 years of age
• Presenting to CHNOLA ER or outside facility with chief complaint of vaso-occlusive pain crisis, requiring inpatient admission for further pain management
• No known cognitive or neurological deficits
• Parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and if appropriate, child assent.