EFFECTS OF NONPROCEDURAL TOUCH AND RELAXATION TRAINING ON THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS LEVEL OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION.
Contributors: Catholic University of America.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 310
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the nurse's use of nonprocedural touch and a relaxation exercise on the psychophysiologic stress level of patients pre-, intra-, and post-cardiac catheterization. The sample for this experimental study consisted of 90 first-time, nonemergency cardiac catheterization patients. Study measurements included The Anxiety-Depression Scale (A-D Scale), The Institute for Personality and Ability Testing Self-Analysis Form (SAF), and cardiovascular parameters of heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP).

Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three study groups: (1) relaxation; (2) nonprocedural touch/relaxation; and, (3) control. Relaxation subjects performed a 10-minute relaxation exercise pre-, intra-, post-cardiac catheterization. Nonprocedural touch/relaxation subjects also performed the same relaxation exercise. For this group, the investigator touched each of the subject's body parts for 10-15 seconds as that specific body part was to be relaxed. For control group subjects, the investigator remained with the subject for an amount of time equal to that spent with both relaxation group subjects. During those times, the investigator gave the usual, verbal, nursing support to control subjects. The Dinamap 847, an automatic oscillometric device recorded HR, SBP, and DBP for all subjects. Analysis of variance with repeated measures were used to examine the effects of group, sex, and treatment on SAF, A-D Scale, HR, SBP, and DBP.

Nonprocedural touch/relaxation and relaxation were more effective than the control for reducing anxiety, and the effectiveness of the two relaxation groups for reducing anxiety did not differ. HR and DBP decreased throughout the three measurement times for all study groups (p $<$.05). The two relaxation groups had greater HR and SBP decreases than the control ($p < .05$). The effectiveness of the two relaxation groups for reducing HR, SBP, and DBP did not differ. Sex did not influence the findings of the A-D Scale nor SAF. Sex influenced HR and SBP but not DBP changes from measurement time to measurement time, however the effects of sex in the measurement times were dependent on pre- to post-measurement changes.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-08, Section: B, page: 3402.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, 1989.

School code: 0043.