Abstract
Background: Maintaining patient comfort and avoiding complications after coronary angiography are important both to the patient and the nurse. Strict bed rest with the head of bed (HOB) completely flat is standard care for postprocedure positioning to decrease pressure on the femoral artery. This position is not thought to be the most comfortable position for patients.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if raising the HOB to 15[degrees] would impact patient comfort after cardiac angiography.
Methods: This study used a randomized, controlled crossover design to compare 3 groups with different HOB positions during the first hour after procedure.
Results: Data from 71 patients demonstrated that HOB position did not significantly impact difference in pain/discomfort rating.
Conclusions: Of all the nursing interventions designed to improve patient comfort after angiography, slightly raising the HOB was not a factor in reducing pain/discomfort.