Evaluating the effectiveness of acupressure on anxiety of mothers in a pediatric surgical waiting area: a randomized clinical trial

Background and Objective: Anxiety in children and their mothers is one of the most prevalent preoperative problems in pediatric patients. The preoperative maternal anxiety can lead to unpleasant complications during preoperative as well as postoperative periods of children. Due to limited studies done in this area, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of acupressure on preoperative anxiety in mothers with a child undergoing tonsillectomy.Methodology: The present clinical trial was performed on 61 mothers with a child undergoing tonsillectomy. The samples were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (acupressure) and sham acupressure. The acupressure was applied on the Yintang point in the intervention group and on the Sham point in the sham group. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to measure the maternal anxiety. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (analysis of variance).Results: Statistical analysis showed that the mean score of maternal anxiety before intervention was not significantly different in both intervention and sham groups (42 ± 8 and 41 ± 7, respectively), but there was a significant difference in their anxiety score after intervention in two groups, 38 ± 2 and 40 ± 6, respectively. No relationship was found between the demographic characteristics of the samples and the mean score of maternal anxiety.Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that the acupressure has a positive effect on the attenuation of anxiety in mothers with a child undergoing tonsillectomy. Therefore, due to cost-effectiveness and ease of use, this technique is recommended to alleviate the anxiety in mothers whose children are undergoing surgery.Citation: Pouy S, Etebarian A, Saeidi S, Majidi S. Evaluating the effectiveness of acupressure on anxiety of mothers in a pediatric surgical waiting area: a randomized clinical trial. Anaesth. pain & intensive care 2019;23(1):23-27