EFFECT OF ACUPRESSURE THERAPY ON INSOMNIA IN CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT (CABG) PATIENTS

Bushra Salh*, Sawsan Ghazal, Montajab Saleh and Mofida Nouman

ABSTRACT

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common heart surgery, performed to treat blocked coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. Despite its effectiveness, 30% to 60% of patients after surgery suffer from complications that affect recovery, including sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure therapy in alleviating insomnia in a sample of 150 patients after CABG surgery at the National Hospital for Cardiac Surgery in Lattakia and Lattakia University Hospital. Materials and methods: According to the quasi-experimental approach, acupressure sessions were applied to the experimental group patients (N=100), on the pressure points selected in the study three times a day during the first week of the patient's presence in the hospital and the application was completed at home at a rate of 14 sessions per week for two months; while the control group (N=50) was left to the hospital routine. Data were collected using the demographic and health data form and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), before and after the application of the interventions and two months after their application. Results showed: After one month of applying the interventions, the level of insomnia in 80% of the patients in the experimental group decreased to "mild insomnia", while 60% of the patients in the control group still suffered from "severe insomnia", with statistically significant differences (p=0.000). During the follow-up evaluation, insomnia completely disappeared in 90% of the patients in the experimental group, compared to 50% of the patients in the control group. The study recommends: adopting pressure therapy as a non-pharmacological technique and using it within the care plan for CABG surgery patients, and giving more attention to their sleep disorders in order to reduce complications and thus accelerate recovery. Keywords: pressure therapy, bypass surgery, coronary artery disease, insomnia.

Keywords: Acupressure therapy, bypass surgery, coronary artery disease, insomnia.