None listed
Conditions
Brief 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.
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 pul
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.
Sponsors
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
20 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
All adult patients undergoing a cardiac procedure needing a sternotomy
Exclusion criteria
ICU stay longer than 2 days, Return to theatre and/or re-do sternotomies, Post-operative confusion
Outcome results
None listed