Background and rationale. From early childhood, patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) undergo at least 1 blood sample (BS) per year. As shown in previous studies it is common for children with CF to display distress and behavioural problems during invasive procedures (1). Indeed, the child with chronic disease has a lower threshold of pain compared to non-chronic patients (2, 3). Virtual Reality (RV) as a distraction technique was effective during painful procedures (4). Actually few studies have been published to assess its efficacy in reducing needle related pain and distress in children and none in children with CF.

Hypothesis and objectives. It is hypothesized that the use of RV during BS significantly reduces fear, anxiety and pain caused by this procedure. The main objective of this study is to estimate the effectiveness of RV in reducing anxiety and fear pain during PV in children with FC.