IJHSR

International Journal of Health Sciences and Research

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Original Research Article

Year: 2017 | Month: September | Volume: 7 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 173-183

Effects of Cold Application on Pain and Bruising Complications Associated with Subcutaneous Heparin in Intensive Care Patients

Emine Korkmaz Kilic1, Tulay Sagkal Midilli2

1A Critical Care Nurse in Bornova Türkan Özilhan State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
2Assistant Professor, Department of Fundamentals Nursing,
Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Manisa, Turkey, zip code: 45000

Corresponding Author: Tulay Sagkal Midilli

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of cold application on pain and bruising complications associated with subcutaneous heparin in intensive care patients.
Design and method: The research was conducted as an experimental, post-test, double blind study in which each patient constituted their own control. It was performed with 60 patients receiving subcutaneous heparin treatment in the Anesthesia Intensive Care Unit. Cold application was performed on the patient’s right side abdominal region for two minutes each before and after the injection. Twenty-four hours later, an injection was performed on the left side of the abdominal region of the same patient without any cold application. The pain of the subcutaneous heparin injection was assessed at the time of the injection, and the size of bruises was measured 48 and 72 hours after the injection.
Results: It was observed that the patients’ total pain scores were significantly lower with the cold application intervention (z=-6.60, p=0.0001), and bruise size after 72 hours with cold application intervention was also significantly less than at 48 hours (z= -6.2, p=0.0001). The size of patients’ bruises after 48 and 72 hours in the intervention without cold application was found to be greater ((z= -6.2, p=0.0001).
Conclusions: It was found that two-minute cold application before and after subcutaneous heparin injections reduced pain score and the size of bruises 48 and 72 hours after heparin.

Key words: intensive care patients, subcutaneous heparin injection, cold application, nursing intervention, pain, bruising

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