Effect of Acupressure on Bowel Elimination in Patients with Skeletal Traction

Abstract

Abstract Background & Aim: Constipation and change in bowel elimination is one of the most common and irritating complications in immobile patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acupressure on bowel elimination in patients with skeletal traction. Material & Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental study. The study sample consisted of 120 patients with skeletal traction hospitalized in Sina and Shariati hospitals from late March, 2014 to late December, 2014 who were selected according to convenience sampling and then assigned to an experimental group (n: 60) and a control group (n: 60). In the experimental group acupressure was performed on LI4, SJ6, and ST25 points for two min, twice a day for 3 days. After the first bowel elimination to collect the data a researcher-developed questionnaire of bowel elimination was used. The data were analyzed by Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, and chi-square test in SPSS 21. Conclusion: According to the results, acupressure as a noninvasive and non-pharmacological therapy is recommended to improve bowel elimination in immobile patients.Results: The independent t-test indicated a significant difference between the control and acupressure groups in the mean score of bowel elimination (P<0/05) and the majority of the experimental group had a relatively easy bowel elimination. The chi-square test indicated a significant difference between the two groups in the first defecation time (P<0/05) and the experimental group had an earlier bowel elimination.

Keywords

• acupressure
• bowel elimination
• skeletal traction
• immobility