The Use of AR / VR in Patients Presenting to the ED With Renal Colic

Launched by COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER, TOMS RIVER, NJ · Jul 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) can help reduce pain for patients who come to the emergency room with kidney stone pain, also called renal colic. The idea is to use these calming VR/AR experiences alongside regular pain medications to see if it helps patients feel better. The trial is currently looking for participants between the ages of 65 and 74 who have a history of kidney stones and are experiencing moderate to severe pain similar to what they’ve had before. Participants must have stable vital signs and be able to use the VR headset comfortably during their treatment.

If you join the study, you will receive the usual pain medicines, and in addition, you’ll use a VR or AR headset designed to help you relax and possibly reduce the pain you feel. You’ll need to keep the headset on for the full session and follow simple instructions. Some people cannot join, such as those under 18, pregnant individuals, or those with certain health issues like severe anxiety, chronic pain conditions, or kidney problems. Also, if you need immediate surgery or have other serious conditions, you would not be eligible. This study aims to find out if VR/AR can be a helpful extra tool to make managing kidney stone pain easier and more comfortable.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patient self-reported history of nephrolithiasis
• • Subjective history suggesting that current presentation is similar to past presentations of nephrolithiasis (character, quality, location, intensity of pain; previous surgical intervention or lithotripsy)
• • Patients with self-reported moderate to severe pain on the visual pain scale determined as greater than 5/10
• • Normal vital signs (afebrile)
• • Agreeable to informed consent as dictated by IRB and local practice
• • No contraindications to standard therapy (ie fluids, NSAIDs, opioids, etc.)
• • Compliance with the virtual reality treatment
• • Keeps the headset on for the duration of the experience
• • Understands the instructions
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Age \< 18 years
• • Pregnant
• • Individuals with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia (chronic pain may confound results, as patients may have higher than baseline pain levels affecting their response to medications)
• • Individuals with severe anxiety or claustrophobia
• • Individuals with severe motion sickness or previous episodes of motion sickness due to VR (those who may not react well to the VR experience)
• • Individuals with GFR\<60 or previous documented diagnosis of CKD as they may not be suitable candidate for traditional analgesia
• • Individuals with previous opioid dependence
• • Requirement of immediate surgery (obstructing calculi with concomitant urinary tract infection)
• • Patients with diagnoses meeting admission criteria (sepsis, MI)
• • Audio/visual impairment (unable to appreciate stimuli provided by the headset)
• • Patients administered opiates as the first line pain control medication will not be included in final data collection, as opioid administration may result in difficulty consenting and understanding the study protocol / design