Effect of Muscle Relaxation Technique on Pain, Pruritus and Vital Signs among Patients with Burns

Abstract

This study aimed to: assess the effect of muscle relaxation technique on pain, pruritus, and vital signs among patients with burn. Research hypothesis: Muscle relaxation technique will have a positive effect on pain, pruritus and vital signs among patients with burn. Design: A quasi-experimental research design (one group pre- and post-implementation of the muscle relaxation technique) was used to achieve the aim of the study. Setting: This study was conducted at plastic, reconstructive and burn Surgery Center - Mansoura University. Subjects: A purposive sample composed of 100 adult patients. Tools: Tool I: Patient’s interviewing questionnaire included: demographic data for patients, pain numerical rating scale and 12- items pruritus severity scale. Tool II: Patient assessment record included: patient medical data record and vital signs assessment record. Results: Muscle relaxation technique had a positive effect on pain, pruritus and, vital signs among patients with burn post implementation. There was a highly statistically significant difference in pain intensity between the studied patients at pre- and post-implementation phases (p value 0.000), there was a highly statistically significant difference between studied patients at pre- and post-implementation phases (p value 0.000) regarding the total pruritus severity scale. And also, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of vital signs among the studied patients at the pre- and post-implementation phases (p <0.05). Conclusion: In the light of the current study findings, it can be concluded that, pain severity, pruritus level, vital signs in terms of pulse, respiratory rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were statistically significantly improved at post-implementation phase as compared to pre- implementation phase which support study hypothesis that muscle relaxation technique had a positive effect on pain, pruritus, and vital signs among the studied patients with burn. Recommendations: Based on the current study finding the following recommendations were proposed: future research study should be done to implement and investigate the effect of the muscle relaxation technique for patients with burn injuries on decreasing the incidence of complications after burn injuries.