APPLIED NURSING RESEARCH, cilt.64, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: Patients are restricted to bed and required to lie flat after coronary angiography (CAG) due to potential risk of vascular complications. This often cause back pain. Aim: We aimed to investigate effect of the head of bed (HOB) elevation on back pain and vascular complications after elective CAG. Methods: Three hundred and seven consecutive patients who underwent elective CAG were randomized into three groups. One control (HOB: 0 degree-flat position) and two experimental (HOB: 15 and 30 degrees) groups were compared. Back pain level was assessed by using visual analogue scale. Results: Mean age was 58.1 +/- 10.7 and 59.9% (n = 184) of patients were male. Pain level at the 3rd hour and at the 6th hour was significantly higher in control group compared to experimental groups. In the post-hoc analysis, pain level was significantly higher in HOB 15 compared to 30 degrees. In multivariate analysis, HOB elevation to 30 degrees was the only independent predictor of the pain level at 3rd hour and 6th hour. Only one patient in the HOB 0 degree group had a minor bleeding at the access site. Conclusions: Elevation of the HOB to 30 degrees was associated with decreased back pain level without increased risk of vascular complications.