Can a brief educational intervention improve sleep and anxiety outcomes for emergency orthopaedic surgical patients?

An educational intervention (EI) is useful in preparing patients for orthopaedic surgery. This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of a brief EI on pain level, anxiety, pain inference on sleep, and sleep satisfaction among Chinese patients undergoing emergency orthopaedic surgery. The intervention group received usual care plus 20-minute EI which comprised a combination of patient education and a breathing relaxation exercise (BRE) whereas the control group received usual care only. The outcomes were evaluated before the EI and at days 2, 4 and 7 post-surgery. One hundred and fifty-two participants completed the study. The intervention group had significantly lower pain levels (Brief pain inventory), anxiety levels (The Chinese state Anxiety scale), and lower pain inference scores on mood and better sleep satisfaction. Therefore, a brief EI with a BRE is a feasible and useful intervention that can improve post-operative outcomes in emergency orthopaedic surgery.