Acute Response of Pain and Blood Gases to Foot Reflexology versus Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Patients Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
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- Category: Vol. 85, March 2017
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Acute Response of Pain and Blood Gases to Foot Reflexology versus Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Patients Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, AMIRA M. AFIFY and GHADA M. SHAWKY
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Insufficient relief of median sternotomy pain is a major cause of increased rates of post-operative complications including inadequate coughing, mu-cous plugging, hypoxia, compromised ventilation or even bacterial lung infection. We aimed to assess the acute efficacy of Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) versus foot reflexology in patients with median sternotomy pain; in addition, we sought to determine whether TENS and foot reflexology would be related to improved arterial blood gases.
Patients and Methods: 20 post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) patients, age ranged between 50-60 years old were randomly divided into TENS and foot reflexology group. The foot reflexology group received reflexology on both for 20 minutes from the second day after surgery. In TENS group, electrodes were attached on either side of the sternotomy for 20 minutes. The intensity of pain was recorded before and after the intervention using visual analogue scale and also blood gases.
Results: Results showed significant differences in pain and blood gases levels after the TENS and foot reflexology interventions among both groups.
Conclusion: According to this study, foot reflexology and TENS is a useful intervention to relieve pain and improve arterial blood gases postoperative CABG. Since these low-cost methods are easy to apply post-operative.