Effects of Vibration and Breathing Exercises on Pain and Anxiety During Chest Tube Removal

NCT07327957 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: CTT-VIBREATH-RCT-ATAU-2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Removing a chest tube is a common procedure after chest surgery, but it can cause significant pain and anxiety for patients. Although medications can help reduce these symptoms, they may have side effects and are not always sufficient. Therefore, simple and safe non-drug methods are increasingly used to improve patient comfort. This randomized controlled study aims to examine the effects of vibration and breathing exercises applied before chest tube removal on patients' pain and anxiety levels. Adult patients with a chest tube will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a vibration group, a breathing exercise group, or a control group receiving standard care. Pain and anxiety levels will be measured before the procedure and after chest tube removal using validated scales. The findings of this study are expected to show whether vibration and breathing exercises are effective in reducing pain and anxiety during chest tube removal. If effective, these methods may offer nurses an easy, low-cost, and safe way to improve patient comfort and support evidence-based nursing care.

Conditions

Postoperative Pain; Anxiety; Thoracic Drainage

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain Intensity

  Pain intensity associated with chest tube removal will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a validated 10-cm scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Participants will self-report their pain level.

  Assessed immediately before chest tube removal and 10 minutes after the procedure.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Anxiety Level

  Assessed immediately before chest tube removal and 10 minutes after the procedure.

Study Arms (2)

Vibration and Breathing Exercise Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive a combined non-pharmacological intervention consisting of vibration application and guided breathing exercises prior to chest tube removal. The vibration will be applied using a portable vibration device to the area proximal to the chest tube insertion site for a standardized duration. Breathing exercises will be performed under the guidance of the researcher and will include slow, deep, and diaphragmatic breathing techniques aimed at promoting relaxation. All interventions will be administered in addition to routine clinical care.

Other: Vibration and Breathing Exercises

Control Group (Standard Care)

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group will receive routine clinical care according to standard hospital protocols prior to chest tube removal. No additional non-pharmacological interventions, including vibration or breathing exercises, will be applied before the procedure.

Interventions

Vibration and Breathing Exercises OTHER

Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive a combined non-pharmacological intervention consisting of vibration application and guided breathing exercises prior to chest tube removal. Vibration will be applied using a portable vibration device placed on the skin near the chest tube insertion site for a standardized duration. The application will be performed while the patient is in a comfortable position. Following the vibration application, participants will be guided through structured breathing exercises, including slow, deep, diaphragmatic, and pursed-lip breathing techniques. These exercises will be conducted by the researcher in a calm and quiet environment to promote relaxation. The combined intervention will be administered in addition to routine clinical care and completed before the chest tube removal procedure.

Vibration and Breathing Exercise Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adult patients aged 18 years and older
• Hospitalized patients with an indwelling chest tube scheduled for removal
• First-time chest tube placement
• Conscious, oriented, and cooperative
• Able to understand and communicate in Turkish
• Hemodynamically stable at the time of chest tube removal
• No use of analgesic or sedative medications within 4 hours prior to the procedure
• Willing and able to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• History of any cognitive or psychiatric disorder
• Previous experience with chest tube placement
• Requirement for mechanical ventilation or endotracheal intubation
• Presence of chronic pain or regular use of analgesic medications
• Use of analgesic or sedative medications immediately before chest tube removal
• Unstable clinical condition at the time of the procedure
• Refusal or inability to provide informed consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Gamze BULUT: lead
• Ataturk University: collaborator

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative; Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Vibration; Breathing Exercises

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mechanical Phenomena; Physical Phenomena; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities

Central Study Contacts

Gamze BULUT ÖZLÜ

CONTACT

+905533826019; gamze.bulut@atauni.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant, Department of Surgical Nursing

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 26, 2025
• First Posted: January 8, 2026
• Study Start: December 31, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 20, 2026
• Last Updated: January 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share