Effect of Positioning on Low Back Pain in Patients Undergone Coronary Angiography

Coronary heart disease is an increasing illness and one of the gold standards for their diagnosis is catheterization (CA). Post-CA bed rest may cause back pain. In Iran, there has been no study about the effects of changing the position on their back pain after coronary angiography. This study was designed to explore these effects amongst the patients admitted to Taleghani hospital, 2006-2007. This clinical trial was carried out on 130 patients hospitalized for coronary angiography. Each Patient was assigned randomly to either the control group (which remained in supine position for 6 hours after coronary angiography), or experimental group. The position of experimental group were changed hourly, from supine to 3o degree elevation and semi position (elevated to 45 degrees) during the first 6 hours after coronary angiography. Check list and numeric pain intensity scale were used for data collection. None of patients developed bleeding, haematoma and arterial thrombosis. There were no significant difference between two groups. There was a significantly lesser pain intensity in experimental group (P<0/001). The extention of back pain was lesser in experimental group but it was not significantly different (P<0/07). Changing the bed position of patients would reduce the back pain without increasing the risk of vascular complications. It also promotes physical comfort among patients undergone coronary angiography.