Effect of Nonpharmacological Methods on Pruritus in Patients with Liver Disease and Liver Cirrhosis: Systematic Review.

Background: Pruritus is a symptom that greatly affects the quality of life in patients with liver disease and liver cirrhosis. Since most pharmacological methods for itching have limited efficacy, there is a need to assess the effectiveness of nonpharmacological methods. Purpose: This systematic review aims to examine the effects of nonpharmacological methods on itching in individuals with liver disease and liver cirrhosis. Methods: PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) criteria were used as the basis for creating the systematic review protocol and writing the article. Studies were searched in "Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL" databases, and studies from January 1, 2016, to January 1, 2024, were included in this systematic review. Studies were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria according to the PICOS method, and these studies included in the review were evaluated using the revised Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical evaluation lists according to their types. Results: Five randomized controlled trials with a total of 257 participants were included in this systematic review. While one of the studies was published in 2016, the others were published after 2016. The nonpharmacological interventions used in the studies consisted of baby oil, peppermint oil, clove oil, curcumin capsules, and ultraviolet light. In all five studies included in the review, it was found that nonpharmacological methods significantly reduced itching, with advantages such as being non-invasive, easy application, cheap, and very low toxicity and side effects. Conclusions: Based on the findings, nonpharmacological methods have a positive effect on itching in individuals with liver disease and liver cirrhosis. It is recommended to conduct more studies with higher methodological quality, using larger sample groups, different interventions, randomization, and blinding methods, to examine the effectiveness of nonpharmacological methods in patients with liver disease and liver cirrhosis.

The effects of acupressure on pain, anxiety and vital signs in patients undergoing coronary angiography: A randomized and sham-controlled trial.

AIM: This randomised sham-controlled trial aimed to analyse the effects of acupressure on pain, anxiety, and vital signs in patients who underwent coronary angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After undergoing coronary angiography, 105 patients were randomised into acupressure (n = 35), sham acupressure (n = 35), and control groups (n = 35). Patients in the acupressure group received acupressure on the heart meridian 7 (HT7), large intestine meridian 4 (LI4), and pericardium meridian (PC6) acupoints 30 min after admission to the clinic, for a period of 16 min, whereas those in the sham group received acupressure on locations 1-1.5 cm away from these points. The control group received standard treatment. The patient information form, Spielberger's state anxiety inventory, visual analogue scale, and vital signs follow-up form were used for data collection. FINDINGS: Consecutive measurements revealed that anxiety levels in the acupressure group were lower than that in the sham and control groups (p < 0.05). In addition, compared to the sham and control groups, the pain scores in the acupressure group decreased significantly after acupressure (p < 0.01). Although there was no significant difference between the pain scores of the sham group before and after acupressure intervention (p > 0.05), the scores of the control group increased significantly over time (p < 0.01). Finally, the vital signs decreased significantly in the acupressure and sham groups after intervention (p < 0.01), but increased significantly in the control group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The findings of this trial indicated that acupressure is an effective method for reducing anxiety, pain, and vital signs.

The Effect of Reiki on Pain Applied to Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Pain, the most common and major source of fear in patients with cancer, reduces the quality of life. This systematic review was conducted to determine the effect of Reiki on pain applied to patients with cancer. The creation of a systematic review protocol and the writing of the article were based on the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) criteria. The literature review was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Seven experimental and quasi-experimental studies met the inclusion criteria, and a total of 572 patients with cancer with sample sizes ranging from 18 to 180 were included. In-person Reiki was applied in 6 of the studies included in the systematic review, while in one of them, distance Reiki was applied. Although Reiki was found to reduce pain in 5 studies included in the review, it was determined that it was not effective on pain in 2 studies. A limited number of studies show that Reiki applied to patients with cancer has a positive effect on pain. It is recommended to conduct more randomized controlled trials with a high methodological quality that examine the effectiveness of Reiki application for patients with cancer.

The Effect of Mobile Phone-Based Interventions on Blood Pressure in Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

AIM: Mobile phone interventions have been used as a widespread and effective means of blood pressure control in recent years. This systematic review was conducted to determine the effect of mobile phone-based interventions on blood pressure in stroke patients. METHOD: In this systematic review, the literature search was conducted between November 1 and November 10, 2022, in the databases "Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library," without any year limitation. Studies with inclusion and exclusion criteria according to the PICOS method were included in the review. RESULTS: A total of 3086 patients who have had a stroke with a sample size ranging from 50-660, and 13 randomized controlled trials meeting the criteria for inclusion in the review were included. In seven studies included in the review, it was found that mobile phone-based intervention reduces blood pressure, while in six studies, it did not have an effect. CONCLUSION: The current studies are insufficient to explain the effect of mobile phone-based interventions on blood pressure control in stroke patients. It is recommended to conduct more randomized controlled trials with a high methodological quality that examine the effect of mobile phone-based interventions on blood pressure in patients who have had a stroke.

The effect of Reiki on fatigue and comfort in hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective, single-blind, randomized parallel controlled study was conducted to determine the effects of distant Reiki on the fatigue and comfort levels of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment. METHODS: The study was conducted in a private dialysis center located in one of the metropolises of Turkey between October 2020 and September 2021. Sixty-two patients receiving HD treatment were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 31) and control (n = 31) groups. Distant Reiki was administered to the patients in the intervention group three times a week for four weeks. Distant Reiki sessions were held the night before the patient's hemodialysis day and lasted approximately 36-40 min. The patients in the control group were administered routine treatment under the institutional policy without any further intervention. Data were collected using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). Measurements were performed before Reiki was applied, after Reiki was applied (the first day after the 12th session), and four weeks after the last measurement in order to assess whether Reiki has a long-term effect. The data obtained were assessed using Shapiro Wilk, Repeated Measures, Student's t, Pearson chi-square, Likelihood Ratio chi-square, and Fisher Exact chi-square tests. RESULTS: The patients in the intervention and control groups were statistically similar in terms of their descriptive characteristics (p>0.05). The intervention group's fatigue score decreased from 5.42 (SD=1.20) to 3.44 (SD=1.00) immediately after the intervention and 3.21 (SD=0.86) four weeks after the intervention. In the control group, these values were 4.50 (SD=1.29), 4.70 (SD=1.22), and 4.65 (SD=1.02), respectively (p<0.05). The general comfort total score of the intervention group increased from 2.86 (SD=0.30) to 3.03 (SD=0.20) immediately after the intervention and 2.98 (SD=0.22) four weeks after the intervention. In the control group, these values were 2.71 (SD=0.33), 2.63 (SD=0.23), and 2.59 (SD=0.30), respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This research has shown that distant Reiki, as one of the non-pharmacological methods, positively affects the fatigue severity and comfort level of patients receiving HD treatment.

The Effects of Self-administered Acupressure on Fatigue in Nursing Students: A Single-blind, Randomized, Sham-controlled Study.

Context: Intern nursing students are exposed to many stressors, such as preparing for theoretical courses, studying for exams, fearing that they may make mistakes in clinical practice, working under inappropriate conditions, fearing infection, and experiencing insomnia. The stressors in question can increase the students' level of fatigue. Objective: The study intended to determine the effects of acupressure on nursing students' fatigue. Design: The research team designed a prospective, two-arm (1:1), single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: The study took place in the Mersin University Faculty of Nursing in Mersin, Turkey. Participants: Participants were 68 fourth-year nursing students at the university who were interns involved in almost all stages of patient care in clinical practice. Intervention: The research team divided the participants into an acupressure group (n = 34), the intervention group, and an acupressure sham group (n = 34), the control group. Both groups performed self-acupressure three times a week for four weeks, for 12 sessions. Outcome Measures: Both groups completed a fatigue severity scale at baseline and postintervention after four weeks of therapy. Results: The acupressure group's mean scores postintervention on the fatigue severity scale were significantly lower than those of the acupressure sham group (P < .001). Between baseline and postintervention, the acupressure group's fatigue levels had significantly decreased (P < .001). No significant change occurred in the acupressure sham group's fatigue levels between baseline and postintervention. Conclusions: Acupressure is a noninvasive, simple, safe, and complimentary and integrated method that nurses can apply independently to manage fatigue.

Effect of Complementary and Integrative Treatments on Fatigue Symptoms in Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review.

Although hemodialysis treatment is one of the main treatment methods in chronic kidney failure, it also causes many health problems. A variety of complementary and integrative therapies are used to relieve or minimize hemodialysis symptoms. Fatigue (60%-97%) is also one of these problems. Therefore, we have conducted a systematic review to determine the effect of complementary and integrative therapies on fatigue in hemodialysis patients. Relevant studies published from 2005 to 2019, in PubMed, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, and Cochran Library databases have been reviewed. In the study, initially, 21 039 pieces of data were obtained, and then 14 randomized controlled studies meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The methodological qualities of the articles included in the study were determined by using the quality evaluation checklist in Jadad randomized controlled studies. In the literature, acupressure, aromatherapy, reflexology, massage, and yoga practice were found to be applied to hemodialysis patients and be effective in reducing pain and anxiety as well as improving sleep quality. It is recommended that these methods be included in the routine clinical care of patients receiving hemodialysis.