Effects of guided imagery relaxation in hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation patients: a quasi-experimental study.

Objective: To analyze the effects of the technique of virtual reality guided imagery in the vital signs of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation patients.

Method: Quasi-experimental study with 35 participants who received an intervention using virtual reality guided imagery with progressive muscle relaxation, applied three times a week for four weeks in a referral hospital for transplants in the south of Brazil. Data collected included: temperature, arterial pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, pain, and oxygen saturation, before and after each intervention. The comparisons were analyzed using Wilcoxon's test.

Results: There was a clinical significance between the mean measurements before and after for respiratory rate (p=0.00) in all stages, and for the variables Heart rate, Temperature, and Oxygen saturation from the 1st to the 12th measurements (p=0.05).

Conclusion: The intervention was low cost, easy to apply, and showed positive effects, presenting itself as an option for patient-focused care.