THE EFFECT OF FOOT MASSAGE ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE OF CCU PATIENTS

Control of Hemodynamic status is a vital and routine practice in the cardiac
intensive care unit, and it provides immediate and available information about the patient's
cardiovascular function. This study tries to investigate the effect of foot massage on blood pressure and
heart rate of CCU patients.
Materials & Methods: This study is a clinical trial in which 60 patients participated by convenience
sampling, and they were randomly divided into two groups: intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30).
In intervention group, foot massage was performed for each patient 20 minutes, but the control group
received usual care. Data were collected by using demographics questionnaire and vital signs. They
were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics tests (chi-square, Paired samples Test) by
SPSS software Version 16 and.
Results: Paired t test showed significant differences between the mean of systolic and diastolic blood
pressure, and the pulse rate also showed a significant difference before and after foot massage in
experimental group (P<0.05). There were not significant differences between the mean of systolic and
diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rates in the control group (P>0.05).
Conclusions: Foot massages result in comfort and hemodynamic balance in heart patients. Considering
the low cost and non-complications of this procedure, it is recommended to be applied for cardiac
patients' vital signs balance