Effect of foot reflexology massage on patient's physiological parameters during chest tube removal after open heart surgery: A double-blind three-group, randomized, controlled clinical trial study

Chest tube removal after open heart surgery is of particular importance due to changes in physiological parameters.  The aim of this study was to determine the effect of foot reflexology massage on physiological parameters during chest tube removal after open heart surgery.
 

The double-blind, three-group, randomized, controlled, clinical trial study was conducted in Baqiyatallah and Jamaran hospitals in Tehran, Iran in 2011-2012. 88 patients were selected by convenience sampling and randomly allocated to the three groups intervention (29 patients), placebo (30 patients) and control (29 patients) by six-block random assignment. Before and after the intervention, vital signs and oxygen saturation percentages were measured immediately, five, ten and fifteen minutes later in all three groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 18 and using descriptive and inferential statistics (One-way ANOVA and paired t-test).
 

Results showed a significant decrease in heart rate and respiratory rate in the intervention group after chest tube removal (p <0.0001); Changes in mean systolic blood pressure and oxygen saturation percentage werenot significantly different between the three groups in different times (P <0.05).

Foot reflexology massage in the process of thoracic tube extraction after coronary artery bypass graft surgery is effective in reducing the heart rate and respiratory rate to normal values and can be a useful and uncomplicated nursing intervention. however, further studies are needed to prove this.