Pain Control After Trauma

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of virtual reality (a form of distraction) in order to reduce patients' pain from trauma.

Inclusion criteria

• Age greater than or equal to 12 years
• Compliant and able to complete questionnaires
• Hospitalization for internal injuries requiring a laparotomy or for orthopedic injuries (closed long bone or calcaneus fractures).
• A minimum of 3 days hospitalization
• No history of psychiatric (DSM-IV-R Axis I) disorder
• Not demonstrating delirium, psychosis or any form of Organic Brain Disorder
• Able to communicate verbally
• Able to take oral medications
• Baseline pain level of >=5/10
• English-speaking

Exclusion criteria

• Age less than 12 years
• Not capable of indicating pain intensity
• Not capable of filling out study measures
• Hospitalization of less than 3 days
• Evidence of traumatic brain injury
• History of psychiatric (DSM-IV-R Axis I) disorder as evidenced in the admitting RN and MD admission notes.
• Demonstrating delirium, psychosis or any form of Organic Brain Disorder and associated memory problems.
• Unable to communicate orally.
• Unable to take oral medications
• History of sig. cardiac, endocrine, neurologic, metabolic, respiratory, gastrointestinal or genitourinary impairment
• Receiving prophylaxis for alcohol or drug withdrawal
• Developmental disability
• Mini-mental status score of greater than 20 in patients older than 80 years or suspected of cognitive deficits
• Non-English Speaking
• Extreme susceptibility to motion sickness
• Seizure history