The effect of a flexible family visit on nausea, vomiting, pain and physiological parameters after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in post-anesthesia care unit: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Moving towards more compassionate care approaches for patients, nursing care tends to involve family members in patient care. One of these approaches is the supportive presence of family at the patient's bedside. This study aimed to investigate the effect of family visit in post-anesthesia care unit on nausea, vomiting, pain and some physiological parameters after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: Sixty patients were randomly divided into the intervention and control groups. Besides routine care, the intervention group was allowed to have the company of a family member at their bedside during the post anesthesia care. Then, physiological parameters, pain, nausea and vomiting of the patients were measured and analyzed using monitoring, visual analog scale and Rhodes questionnaire. Results: None of the parameters were significantly different between the two groups in the preoperative period. The means of systolic blood pressure and heart rate were significantly different between the two groups during post-anesthesia care (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01) and 30 min after entering the ward (P<0.001 and P = 0.01). Additionally, the intensity of pain and nausea was significantly lower during post-anesthesia care in the intervention group (P<0.001 and P = 0.006). Conclusions: It appears that the presence of family at the patient's bedside during post-anesthesia care positively affects some physiological parameters as well as the intensity of pain and nausea in patients, thereby reducing their need for medication. © 2021