Anti-Anxiety Agents

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of acupressure on anxiety and sleep quality after cardiac surgery.

DESIGN: A randomized pre-post test control group design.

METHODS: Patients after cardiac surgery were divided into two groups: the intervention group (n = 50), who received acupressure on four different acupoints plus standard care, and the control group (n = 50), who received only standard care. Patients were admitted to the surgical clinic from the intensive care unit after 3 or 4 days of surgery. The levels of anxiety and sleep quality were evaluated during three postoperative days starting from their first day in the surgical clinic.

FINDINGS: Among the patients in the intervention group, the usage of acupressure decreased the level of anxiety and increased the sleep quality significantly compared with the control group (P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that acupressure decreased the level of anxiety and improved the sleep quality in the surgical clinic after cardiac surgery.