Effect of Cryotherapy on Pain Intensity for Patients Undergoing Arterial Sheath Removal After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Coronary artery disease is the main cause of mortality globally, making up approximately 33% of all deaths Patients with coronary artery disease experience pain and discomfort post-percutaneous coronary intervention after the femoral catheter is removed, which might raise the patient's duration of hospitalisation and the hospital's costs. Aims: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of cryotherapy on the degree of pain that patients who have had their arterial sheath removed after percutaneous coronary intervention felt. Methods: A test-and-retest design in a randomised controlled trial was conducted from January 7, 2024, to February 19, 2024, at Babylon Centre/Imam Al-Sadiq Hospital. A probability (simple random) sampling method was used in a two-group design, with 50 patients in each group as a control and cryotherapy group, and evaluating pain levels utilizing the visual analogue scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis frequency, percentage, mean, paired sample t-test, standard deviation, and ANOVA. Results: This stated the mean pain level was similar before cryotherapy. However, after cryotherapy, the level of pain in the cryotherapy group was significantly less than that of the control group (2.38± 5.1 vs. 23.34± 11.5), respectively. P = 0.000 (<0.05) demonstrating a statistically significant variation. Conclusions: According to the study, cryotherapy applied to the femoral sheath region assisted the percutaneous coronary intervention patients feel less pain when their femoral catheter was removed. In these situations, a local cold gel bag may be advised as a nursing intervention for pain management.