Effect of Positioning and Early Ambulation on Coronary Angiography Complications: a Randomized Clinical Trial

After coronary angiography to prevent potential complications, patients are restricted to 4-24 hours bed rest in the supine position due to the complications. This study was designed to assess the effect of changing position and early ambulation on low back pain, urinary retention, bleeding and hematoma after cardiac catheterization.

In this clinical trial, 140 patients by using a convenience sampling randomly divided into four 35-individual groups. The patients in the control group were in the supine position for 6 hours without a movement. Change position was applied to the second group (based on a specific protocol), early ambulation was applied to the third group and both early ambulation and change position were applied to the fourth group. Then, severity of bleeding, hematoma, back pain and urinary retention were measured at zero, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours after angiography. The data was collected through an individual data questionnaire, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of pain and Kristin Swain's check list was applied to evaluate the severity of bleeding and hematoma.

None of patients developed vascular complications. Incidence of urinary retention was higher in the control group, although this difference was not significant. The mean of pain intensity in the fourth and sixth hours showed a significant difference.

Based on the findings of this study, changing patients' position can be safe and they can be ambulated early after angiography.