Paediatric anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Feb 2024
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of augmented reality on preoperative anxiety in children and adolescents: A randomized controlled trial.
Virtual reality has been shown to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing anxiety of pediatric patients. A newer immersive technology, that of augmented reality, offers some practical advantages over virtual reality, and also seems to show beneficial effects on anxiety. The main objective of this study was to determine whether augmented reality could reduce preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing elective day surgeries. A secondary outcome was to document the level of satisfaction from pediatric patients toward augmented reality intervention. ⋯ To our knowledge, this study is the first large randomized controlled trial to provide empirical evidence of reduction in anxiety for children and adolescents using augmented reality prior to induction of general anesthesia.