Anxiety is the most common negative emotion among the patients awaiting coronary angiography. The increased anxiety may exacerbate coronary heart disease symptoms and possibly contribute to complications during the procedure. Chinese hand massage is a nonpharmaceutical intervention that has been used in several clinical situations in China and might have beneficial effects on reducing anxiety before coronary angiography.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese hand massage care on anxiety among patients awaiting coronary angiography.
One hundred eighty-five subjects awaiting coronary angiography in a single hospital in Fuzhou, China, between May 2012 and September 2012 were screened. One hundred eligible participants were recruited and randomly assigned into the control or Chinese hand massage group. The control group received the conventional therapies and care according to the guidelines, and those in the Chinese hand massage group received additional Chinese hand massage care in conjunction with the same conventional therapies and care as the control group. The anxiety scores (evaluated by using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale), heart rate, blood pressure, quality of life (Short-Form Health Survey), and the adverse events were recorded at the baseline and after coronary angiography, respectively.
The scores of Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale in the Chinese hand massage group (11.78 [SD, 2.9]) had a statistically significant decrease compared with those in the control group (15.96 [SD, 3.4]) at post-procedure (P < .01). There was no statistically significant difference on blood pressure, heart rate, and Short-Form Health Survey at postangiography between the Chinese hand massage group and the control group. No adverse event was reported during the intervention period.
Chinese hand massage effectively alleviated anxiety without any adverse effects among patients awaiting coronary angiography. Therefore, it might be recommended as a nonpharmacological nursing intervention. However, future study with a larger sample size is needed to further confirm the efficacy of Chinese hand massage intervention.
Lijuan Mei, RN, MS Senior Nurse, School of Nursing, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou; and Tongzhou Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Beijing, China.
Xing Miao, RN, BS Senior Nurse, Department of Cardiology, Fujian Province Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
Haiying Chen, RN, BS Supervisor Nurse, Second Clinic of Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
Xiufang Huang, RN, BS Senior Nurse, Department of Cardiology, Fujian Province Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
Guohua Zheng, PhD Professor, College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-12002362.
This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Correspondence Guohua Zheng, PhD, College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1 Huatuo Rd, Shangjie University Town, Fuzhou, China 350122 (zhgh_1969@aliyun.com).
