Background: Critical ill children in critical care units (CCUs) require adequate sleep to sustain
their mental and physical health. The aim: of the study was to evaluate the effect of virtual reality
technology on sleeping patterns and its effect on physiological parameters among critically ill
children in CCUs. Subject and Methods: Design: To achieve the study's aim a quasi-experimental
research design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted in the Pediatric Critical Care Units
affiliated at Sohag University Hospital. Sample: A purposive sample of 100 critically ill children
was included, randomly assigned equally into a study and control group (Study group involved 50
critically ill children, they used virtual reality technology and 50 critically ill children in the control
group not using virtual reality technology. Three tools were used to collect data: (I) Demographic
characteristics of critically ill children (II) ST Mary’s Hospital Sleep questionnaires and (III)
physiological parameters assessment tool (Temperature, Pulse, Respiration, and Blood Pressure).
Results: The study result showed that the majority of critically ill children have significant sleep
disturbance pre using virtual reality technology, but post virtual reality technology intervention the
majority of critically ill children did not have sleep disturbance compared to one fifth in the control
group had only mild sleep disturbance, which associated positively with improving physiological
parameters. In critically ill children in CCUs, poor sleep quality causes significant alterations in
Temperature, Pulse, Respiration, and Blood Pressure. Conclusion: The study concluded that virtual
reality technology had positive effects that improved sleeping pattern and physiological parameters
among critically ill children in the study group than those in the control group. Recommendations:
The present study recommended that virtual reality distraction technology should be integrated as a
part of the routine care of critically ill children in CCUs. |
