Effects of massage on vital signs, pain and comfort levels in liver transplant patients

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of back massage on postoperative vital signs, pain, and comfort levels in liver transplant patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental model with a pretest, a posttest, and a control group was used. The population of the study comprised adult patients who had liver transplantation for the first time. The study sample comprised 84 adult patients who had liver transplantation: 42 experimental (study group) and 42 control group, selected by power analysis and the random sampling method from the population. The data were collected between May and September 2016 using the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and the General Comfort Scale. In the study group, the researcher performed back massage twice per day in the morning and evening in the organ transplant service. No treatment was performed in the control group. To analyse the data, descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, a t-test for dependant groups, and a t-test for independent groups were used. Results: According to morning and evening follow-ups after liver transplantation, the mean scores of pulse rate, respiration rate, blood pressure values, and pain intensity was lower, and the mean score of sPO2 (oxygen saturation) levels and comfort levels was higher, with a statistical significance in the experimental group compared with the control group in all measurements before and after back massage (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The back massage applied to liver transplant patients positively affected vital signs, decreased the severity of pain, and increased the comfort levels of the patients. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.