The effects of virtual reality and acupressure applications on pain, anxiety, vital signs and comfort in the catheter extraction process of patients WHO have coronary angiography

The study was carried out as a randomized controlled intervention study to determine the effects of virtual reality and acupressure applications on pain, anxiety, vital signs and comfort levels during femoral catheter extraction in patients undergoing coronary angiography. The population of the study was the patients who underwent coronary angiography between March and December 2021 in a university hospital; the sample consisted of 153 (51 virtual reality, 51 acupressure, 51 control group) patients who met the sampling criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. 'Visual Evaluation Scale (VAS)', 'State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)', 'Vital Signs Follow-up Form' and 'Perianesthesia Comfort Scale (PCS)' were used to evaluate the data. The virtual reality and acupressure groups had lower pain, anxiety and vital signs mean scores, and higher comfort scores compared to the control group, and there was found a statistically significant difference between the groups (p<0.05). In the comparisons made within the groups, in the pain score averages during and after the process; in the anxiety score averages after the process; in the vital signs scores during and after the process; in the comfort score averages after the process the was found a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). As a result; it has been determined that acupressure and virtual reality applications used in the process of femoral catheter extraction in patients undergoing coronary angiography reduce pain and anxiety, positively affect vital signs and increase the level of comfort. Keywords: Coronary Angiography, Virtual Reality, Acupressure, Pain, Anxiety, Vital Signs, Patient Comfort, Nurses.