Sleep better after heart surgery: natural methods put to the test

Sleep better after heart surgery: natural methods put to the test

Sleep disordersare a common problem in cardiac surgery patients, which negatively impacts post-surgery recovery and rehabilitation. Common sleep medications are not ideal for long-term use, and non-pharmacological treatments may be useful alternatives or adjuncts. This study examined the effectiveness of such non-pharmacological interventions on sleep quality, pain intensity and anxiety in cardiac surgery patients.

A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated randomized controlled trials that examined the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep quality in adult patients after cardiac surgery. The evaluation of 18 studies with 1701 participants showed that methods such asCognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, exercise, massage, acupressure, aromatherapy, music therapy, as well as the use of eye masks and earplugs, which can significantly improve sleep quality, pain intensity and anxiety.

These findings suggest that the use of non-pharmacological interventions after cardiac surgery can optimize sleep quality. However, further research with greater methodological rigor is required to provide even more precise evidence. In clinical practice, these results could contribute to increasing the inclusion of such interventions in the care of patients after cardiac surgery in order to improve sleep quality. This provides an opportunity for patients and healthcare providers to be better informed about the benefits of these interventional approaches.

Basic terms:

• Nicht-pharmakologische Interventionen: Behandlungsmethoden, die ohne Medikamente auskommen.
• Kognitive Verhaltenstherapie: Eine psychotherapeutische Methode, die darauf abzielt, schädliche Denkmuster zu erkennen und zu verändern.
• Entspannungstechniken: Verfahren, die zur Verringerung von Stress und Anspannung eingesetzt werden, z.B. Atemübungen oder Progressive Muskelrelaxation.
• Akupressur: Eine Therapieform aus der traditionellen chinesischen Medizin, die durch Druck auf bestimmte Körperstellen wirkt.
• Aromatherapie: Die Verwendung ätherischer Öle zur Förderung von Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden.

In conclusion, these studies offer promising approaches to support the recovery of patients after cardiac surgery through non-pharmacological methods. They emphasize the importance of further research to ensure optimal integration of these interventions into clinical practice.

Increasing sleep quality through non-pharmacological interventions in postoperative cardiac patients

The systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep quality, pain intensity and anxiety in postoperative cardiac patients. A total of 18 studies with 1701 participants were included that compared different non-pharmacological approaches and assessed their impact on recovery after cardiac surgery.

Methodology of the study

• Es wurde eine umfassende Literatursuche in Datenbanken wie PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, CNKI und ProQuest Dissertations and Theses am 12. Oktober 2022 durchgeführt.
• Eingeschlossen wurden randomisierte kontrollierte Studien, die die Wirksamkeit nicht-pharmakologischer Interventionen zur Verbesserung der Schlafqualität bei erwachsenen postoperativen kardialen Patienten untersuchten.
• Zur Beurteilung des Risikos für Verzerrungen (Bias) nutzten die Autoren das Cochrane Risk of Bias-Tool Version 1.
• Für die Meta-Analyse kam die Software RevMan Version 5.4.1 zum Einsatz, während die Heterogenität der Studienergebnisse mittels I-Statistik und Cochran-Q-Test bewertet wurde.

Results

The majority of included patients had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Non-pharmacological interventions studied included, but were not limited to, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, exercise, massage, acupressure, aromatherapy, music, and the use of eye masks and earplugs, which were tested against usual care, placebo, no intervention, or active comparison groups.

• Bei den Interventionen wurde eine statistisch signifikante Verbesserung der Schlafqualität (Standard Mean Difference (SMD) = -0.91, 95% Konfidenzintervall (KI) = -1.17 bis -0.65) festgestellt.
• Eine Reduktion der Schmerzintensität wurde ebenfalls berichtet (SMD = -0.63, 95% KI = -1.05 bis -0.20) in Gruppen, die kognitive Verhaltenstherapie, Entspannungstechniken, Massage, Musik und Augenmasken erhielten.
• Eine Verbesserung der Angstlevels wurde durch Bewegung und Musik erzielt (SMD = -0.21, 95% KI = -0.38 bis -0.04).

Conclusion and clinical relevance

The study concludes that the use of non-pharmacological interventions can optimize sleep quality after cardiac surgery. However, the need for further research with greater methodological rigor to examine various intervention-specific characteristics while taking into account potential confounding factors is highlighted. The results highlight the importance of using non-pharmacological measures in postoperative cardiac care to support recovery and improve patients' quality of life.

Link to external source of research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38477050