Effect of Warm Footbath Combined With Relaxation Exercise on Pain and Anxiety During Chest Tube Removal After Cardiac Surgery

May 9, 2026 updated by: özlem ABI, Igdir University

Effect of Warm Foot Bath Combined With Relaxation Exercise on Pain and Anxiety During Chest Tube Removal After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Chest tube removal is a widely used surgical procedure, particularly in the post-cardiac surgery period, to maintain cardiopulmonary stability, provide mediastinal drainage, and prevent potential complications. It provides one-way drainage of air and/or fluid accumulated in the pleural space through closed drainage systems. Chest tube removal is often described by patients as a painful and frightening experience. Without adequate pain control, chest tube removal can cause severe pain and anxiety in patients, limiting their physical activity and negatively impacting coughing and deep breathing. Consequently, this can lead to inadequate expansion of the thoracic cavity and predisposition to respiratory tract infections.

Pain management is considered a fundamental component of nursing care. Effective pain management relies on comprehensive assessment, application of appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, and monitoring of patient response. Pharmacological agents commonly used during chest tube removal include local anesthetics, opioid analgesics, and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, pharmacological methods can have side effects such as vomiting, nausea, respiratory distress, and hypotension, which can reduce patient comfort. Therefore, given the frequent use and potential side effects of pharmacological methods, there is an increasing need for non-pharmacological methods that are safe, easy to apply, and have no side effects in pain and anxiety management. The literature reports that non-pharmacological interventions are effective in reducing pain felt during chest tube removal. Studies in the literature show that relaxation exercises, a non-pharmacological method, are cost-effective, easy to apply, and effective in reducing pain and anxiety levels. These exercises have been shown to provide physiological relaxation by supporting muscle activation and are effective in pain management in patients after surgical procedures. Another non-pharmacological method used to reduce postoperative pain and anxiety is warm foot baths. Warm foot baths are reported to increase peripheral temperature, causing vasodilation, supporting autonomic balance, and providing physiological relaxation. While studies evaluating the effects of warm foot baths on pain and anxiety in various clinical situations exist in the literature, no study examining its effect during chest tube removal has been found. This indicates a significant knowledge gap in the literature regarding the potential effects of warm foot baths during chest tube removal. Accordingly, this research was planned to determine the effects of relaxation exercises applied before chest tube removal and warm foot baths applied simultaneously with relaxation exercises on pain and anxiety levels in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The research will be conducted using a two-arm, parallel-group, randomized comparative experimental design. Considering the effect sizes reported in the literature for similar interventions and accounting for both literature-based and repeated-measures calculations, a median effect size was assumed. Accordingly, the study targeted a sample size of 30 patients per group (total n=60). The relaxation group (R) and the warm water footbath group (WWF+R) will be assigned using a block-randomized design. The R group will receive guided breathing and progressive muscle relaxation exercises. The WBB+R group will receive guided breathing and progressive muscle relaxation exercises, along with a warm-water foot bath. The interventions will begin with a pre-application to familiarize patients with the procedures. In the second phase, patients will perform the procedures 15 minutes before the scheduled chest tube removal time. Data will be collected at four time points using the Visual Analog Scale and the State Anxiety Scale. Appropriate statistical methods will be used for data analysis. This research has the potential to be the first randomized comparative study examining the simultaneous effects of a warm-water foot bath and relaxation exercises during chest tube removal after cardiac surgery. The findings are expected to contribute a new, low-cost, non-invasive, and evidence-based intervention to post-surgical nursing care protocols. The research outcomes are expected to improve patient comfort and the quality of clinical care.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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Study Type

Study Type

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Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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Study Contact

Study Contact

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Participation Criteria

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Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years and older
  • Followed up with at least one chest tube after elective cardiac surgery -Scheduled for chest tube removal
  • Conscious, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 15
  • Hemodynamically stable (Mean Arterial Pressure [MAP] ≥ 65 mmHg, and Peripheral Oxygen Saturation [SpO₂] ≥ 92% on room air or with routine oxygen support)
  • No visual or auditory impairments
  • Able to speAk and understand Turkish
  • No clinically diagnosed neurological or psychiatric disease, and not using regular psychotropic medications

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Aged under 18 years
  • Presence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, or conditions disrupting foot/skin integrity (conditions where a warm water foot bath is contraindicated)
  • Hemodynamically unstable (Mean Arterial Pressure [MAP] < 65 mmHg)
  • Presence of severe cognitive impairment, psychotic disorder, or hallucinations
  • Administered any analgesic medication outside the current analgesia protocol within the last 24 hours
  • Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score below 15
  • Inability to speak Turkish or presence of any condition preventing communication

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Warm Water Foot Bath and Relaxation (WFB+R) Group
Patients assigned to this arm will immerse their feet in a basin filled with 40°C warm water while simultaneously performing relaxation exercises. The relaxation exercises consist of 5 minutes of guided breathing and 10 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation. This combined intervention begins exactly 15 minutes prior to the chest tube removal procedure.
Behavioral: Relaxation Exercises
Administered exactly 15 minutes prior to chest tube removal. The structured session lasts a total of 15 minutes and consists of two sequential components: 5 minutes of guided breathing (inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 6 seconds), immediately followed by 10 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation. The muscle relaxation involves systematically tensing muscle groups for 5 seconds and relaxing them for 10 seconds, progressing from the toes up to the head.
Other: Warm Water Foot Bath
Administered exactly 15 minutes prior to chest tube removal. The patient sits on the edge of the bed and immerses their feet up to the ankles in a basin containing 10-15 liters of water heated to exactly 40°C. This physical intervention is conducted concurrently with guided relaxation exercises to combine peripheral physical relaxation with central psychological relaxation.
Active Comparator: Relaxation (R) Group)
Patients assigned to this arm will perform only the relaxation exercises, which consist of 5 minutes of guided breathing and 10 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation. This intervention begins exactly 15 minutes prior to the chest tube removal procedure.
Behavioral: Relaxation Exercises
Administered exactly 15 minutes prior to chest tube removal. The structured session lasts a total of 15 minutes and consists of two sequential components: 5 minutes of guided breathing (inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 6 seconds), immediately followed by 10 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation. The muscle relaxation involves systematically tensing muscle groups for 5 seconds and relaxing them for 10 seconds, progressing from the toes up to the head.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity Assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Assessed at four time points: pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention (pre-removal), immediately post-chest tube removal, and 15 minutes post-removal.
Pain intensity will be evaluated using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The scale consists of a 10-cm line ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "unbearable pain". Participants mark their pain level on the line, and higher scores represent a greater intensity of pain.
Assessed at four time points: pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention (pre-removal), immediately post-chest tube removal, and 15 minutes post-removal.
Anxiety Level Assessed by State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S)
Time Frame: Assessed at two time points: pre-intervention and 15 minutes post-chest tube removal.
Anxiety will be measured using the 20-item State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S). The STAI-S is scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1=not at all, 4=very much so), with total scores ranging from 20 to 80. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety levels.
Assessed at two time points: pre-intervention and 15 minutes post-chest tube removal.
Anxiety Level Assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Assessed at two time points: immediately post-intervention (pre-chest tube removal) and immediately post-chest tube removal.
Anxiety will be evaluated using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for anxiety. The scale ranges from 0, indicating "no anxiety," to 10, indicating "highest anxiety". Participants mark their anxiety level on the line, and higher scores represent a greater level of anxiety.
Assessed at two time points: immediately post-intervention (pre-chest tube removal) and immediately post-chest tube removal.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Igdir University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Koç University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • E-37077861-900-197647

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results reported in the publication will be available for sharing.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will be available beginning 6 months and ending 36 months following article publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data will be shared with researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal for secondary analyses or meta-analyses. Proposals should be directed to the corresponding author. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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