title: [Cold or hot sitz baths in the emergency treatment of acute anal pain due to anorectal disease? Results of a randomised clinical trial].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The popular belief advocates the use of sitz (sitting) baths with cold water for the treatment of acute anal pain, but clinical practice guides recommend the use of hot water for its known effect on the at-rest anal pressure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to examine the analgesic effect on the quality of life, manometer data and clinical progress, of the two temperatures in sitz baths in patients with anal pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised clinical trial on patients with acute anal pain due to haemorrhoids or anal fissures, divided into Group 1: Sitz baths with water at a temperature of less than 15 degrees C, and Group 2: Baths with a water temperature above 30 degrees C. The analgesia was the same in both groups. An analysis was made of the pain at 7 days (visual analogue scale), quality of life (SF-36), anal at-rest pressure and disease progress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 27 eligible patients, 24 were randomised (Group 1: n=12 y Group 2: n=12). There were no statistical differences in pain, but it remained stable in Group 1, but gradually decreased in the patients of Group 2, the difference being in the pain scores on the first day compared to the seventh in Group 2 (p=0.244). The rest of the variables were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no statistically significant differences in pain control from day 1 to day 7 in the Group with sitz baths with hot water. (ISRCTN Number: 50105150).
authors.affiliation: Unidad Cirugía Colorrectal, Hospital Universitario del Mar, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maestre
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parés
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvans
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ibáñez-Zafón
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nve
authors.forename: Maria-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Isidro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martínez-Casas
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pera
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grande
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001003:Anal Canal; D017679:Cryotherapy; D005260:Female; D005401:Fissure in Ano / Q000150:complications*; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000150:complications*; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D059408:Pain Management; D011446:Prospective Studies