Effect of Acupressure on the Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Pain Severity of Patients who Underwent Coronary Angiography: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Patients experience a fear of death and consequent anxiety before coronary angiography (CA). High levels of stress cause cardiac irritability and increased blood pressure. Acupressure is a non-pharmacological nursing intervention that can relieve and reduce pain and regulate anxiety-related blood pressure levels.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of acupressure applied before the CA procedure on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse, and pain intensity parameters after the CA.
Design: The study was a randomized controlled trial.
Setting: The study took place at the Cardiology Service (CS) of a Training and Research Hospital in Turkey.
Participants: One hundred patients who met the research criteria were divided equally into two groups-50 patients in the intervention group (IG) and the rest in the control group (CG)-using a simple randomization method.
Intervention Group (ig): The IG received acupressure and the CG did not. Acupressure was applied to patients in the IG 30-60 minutes before the CA. In the study, pressure was applied to the Li4, HT7, and Extra 1 acupressure points.
Outcome Measure: Pain intensity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the pulse of the patients were measured three times-once before the CA intervention and twice after. The study data were collected using a patient information form, a visual analog scale (VAS), an electronic blood pressure measurement device, and a pulse oximeter.
Results: It was found that group and group-time interactions were not significant in the IG and CG for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse (P > .05). It was observed that the mean VAS of the IG was statistically significantly lower than that of the CG (P = .000).
Conclusion: It was concluded that acupressure has no effect in the management of hemodynamic changes after a CA, but it is effective in pain management. We suggest that the use of acupressure be expanded by creating awareness about its benefits among CA patients and nurses working in CS.
Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT05235841.