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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe the auricular massage points for managing post-operative pain, anxiety and dyspnea in lung cancer patients.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to understand the effects of auricular massage for managing post-operative pain, anxiety and dyspnea in lung cancer patients.
Methods: The study design was a randomized controlled trail. Data were collected from two surgical wards of a medical center in 2009 in Taipei, Taiwan. Forty-one patients who have received surgery for lung cancer were randomly allocated to an intervention (n = 20) or control group (n = 21). Patients in the intervention group received the usual pain management and routine care plus auricular massage during postoperative days until discharge. Patients in the control group received usual pain management and routine care. Outcome measures included the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale for pain and summary of the pain-killer medication consumed; the Hospital Anxiety Scale, Visual Analog Scale for anxiety; and Visual Analog Scale for dyspnea.
Results: Results demonstrated that studies patients reported moderately high level pain, anxiety and dyspnea. Using generalized estimation equations and controlling for confounding variables, less pain (p < .05), anxiety (p < .05) and dyspnea (p < .05) over time were reported by intervention group compared with the control group. In additional patients in the intervention group received significantly less pain medications than the control group (p < .05).
Conclusion: Findings from this study provide nurses with an additional treatment modality to offer postoperative lung cancer patients in management of pain, anxiety and dyspnea.