Reduction of sternotomy pain with “self-hug"
In adult patients undergoing a cardiac procedure needing a sternotomy, can “self-hug" reduce post-operative sternotomy pain?
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
40 participants
Mar 27, 2012
Interventional
Conditions
Summary
A sternotomy (cut through the breastbone) for heart surgery is associated with some pain. The pain can be increased with activities like mobilisation but also deep breathing and coughing. We intend to assess whether the pain is less with self-hugging the chest (arms around the shoulder pulling them together) compared to the standard method of compression of the chest with the hands crossed over a pillow in front of the chest.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria1
- All adult patients undergoing a cardiac procedure needing a sternotomy
Exclusion Criteria3
- ICU stay longer than 2 days,
- Return to theatre and/or re-do sternotomies,
- Post-operative confusion
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Interventions
Standard care is to protect the sternotomy wound with the hands cross in front of the chest with a pillow. From day 2-5 post-operatively all patients in the study are asked to rate the sternotomy pain with the following 2 manoeuvres. first 3 deep breaths and subsequent coughs with the cross-chest method (support/compression of the sternotomy wound with crossed hands in front of the chest with a pillow) vs 3 deep breaths and subsequent coughs with the "self-hug" method (arms across the chest pulling together the shoulder and shoulder blade pulling with the hands on either side. This is done once in the morning and once in the afternoon. In the afternoon the order is reversed with the "self-hug" method first followed by the cross-chest method.
Locations(1)
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ACTRN12612000361808