Effects of Short-Term Arm Sling Use After Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Placement (CIED-SLING24)

September 3, 2026 updated by: Tugba Yorulmaz

The Effect of Short-Term Arm Sling Use During the First 24 Hours After Implantation of a Cardiac Electronic Device on Patient Comfort, Pain, Satisfaction, and Early Device-Related Complications: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of short-term medical arm sling use during the first 24 hours after cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation on patient comfort, pain, satisfaction, and early device-related complications.

Adult patients undergoing first-time implantation of a permanent pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either an intervention group or a control group. Patients in the intervention group will receive standard postoperative care and use a medical arm sling on the side of device implantation for 24 hours. Patients in the control group will receive standard postoperative care without an arm sling. Both groups will otherwise receive the same nursing care, including wound monitoring, pain management, and early mobilization education.

Pain and comfort will be assessed during the first 24 hours after implantation. Patient satisfaction with arm sling use will be evaluated in the intervention group at 24 hours. Early device-related complications, including pocket hematoma, bleeding, swelling, wound-related findings, lead dislodgement, device abnormalities, and other early postoperative complications, will be assessed during hospitalization, at discharge, and at the first-week follow-up. Outcome assessments will be performed by an investigator who is blinded to group allocation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

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.

Detailed Description

Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), including permanent pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, are widely used in the management of bradyarrhythmias, tachyarrhythmias, and heart failure. The early postoperative period following CIED implantation is important because device-related complications such as pocket hematoma, bleeding, swelling, wound-related problems, and lead-related complications may occur during this period.

Postoperative restriction of arm movement and the use of an arm sling are commonly applied in clinical practice; however, practices vary considerably between centers, and there is no clear consensus regarding the necessity or optimal duration of arm sling use following CIED implantation. While arm immobilization may provide a sense of protection and may potentially reduce movement-related concerns, unnecessary restriction may also negatively affect comfort, pain, mobility, and the overall patient experience.

Previous studies have mainly focused on device-related complications or shoulder function following CIED implantation. Evidence regarding the effects of short-term medical arm sling use on patient-centered outcomes, particularly comfort, pain, and satisfaction, together with early device-related complications, remains limited. Therefore, this study is designed to provide randomized controlled evidence on the clinical and patient-centered effects of using a medical arm sling during the first 24 hours after CIED implantation.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
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.
104

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

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Aged 18 years or older. Undergoing first-time implantation of a permanent pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device.

Clinically stable during the first 24 hours after the procedure. Able to read, understand, and communicate in Turkish. Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

Undergoing device revision, lead replacement, or generator replacement. Presence of an orthopedic or neurological condition that restricts upper-extremity movement.

Presence of cognitive impairment or a communication barrier. Development of a major complication during the implantation procedure. Request to withdraw from the study.

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: Single

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: Medical Arm Sling Group
Participants will receive standard postoperative care and will use a medical arm sling on the side of CIED implantation for 24 hours after the procedure.
Device: Medical Arm Sling
A medical arm sling will be applied to the upper extremity on the side of CIED implantation immediately after the procedure and will be used for 24 hours. Participants will receive standardized instructions regarding proper arm sling use. All other postoperative nursing care will be provided according to the standard care protocol.
No Intervention: Standard Care Group
Participants will receive standard postoperative care without the use of a medical arm sling.

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
Patient Comfort Assessed Using the Visual Analog Comfort Scale
Time Frame: 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after CIED implantation
Patient comfort will be assessed using a 0-10 Visual Analog Comfort Scale, where 0 indicates "not comfortable at all" and 10 indicates "completely comfortable." Higher scores indicate greater patient comfort.
2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after CIED implantation

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.
Tugba Yorulmaz

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Tugba Yorulmaz, PhD, Acibadem University

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.
October 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.
October 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.
October 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).
September 3, 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.
September 3, 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.
September 9, 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.
September 9, 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.
September 3, 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.
September 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.
  • 2026-13/631

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to participant confidentiality, privacy, and ethical considerations. Study findings will be reported in aggregate form.

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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