title: Effects of therapeutic touch on anxiety, vital signs, and cardiac dysrhythmia in a sample of Iranian women undergoing cardiac catheterization: a quasi-experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of Therapeutic Touch (TT) on anxiety, vital signs, and cardiac dysrhythmia in women undergoing cardiac catheterization.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a quasi-experimental study. The participants had no history of hallucination, anxiety, or other psychological problems. Participants had to be conscious and have attained at least sixth-grade literacy level. Participants were randomly assigned into an intervention group (n = 23; received 10-15 minutes TT), a placebo group (n = 23; received 10-15 minutes simulated touch), and a control group (n = 23; did not receive any therapy). Data were collected using Spielberger's anxiety test, cardiac dysrhythmia checklist, and vital signs recording sheet. Statistical analyses were considered to be significant at α = .05 levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine women ranging in age from 35 to 65 years participated. TT significantly decreased state anxiety p < 0.0001 but not trait anxiety (p = .88), decreased the incidence of all cardiac dysrhythmias p < 0.0001 except premature ventricular contraction (p = .01), and regulated vital signs p < 0.0001 in the intervention group versus placebo and control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TT is an effective approach for managing state anxiety, regulating vital signs, and decreasing the incidence of cardiac dysrhythmia during stressful situations, such as cardiac catheterization, in Iranian cardiac patients.
authors: Nursing & Midwifery Care Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. zolfaghm@tums.ac.ir
authors: Mitra
authors: M
authors: Zolfaghari
authors: Sana
authors: S
authors: Eybpoosh
authors: Maryam
authors: M
authors: Hazrati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008875:Middle Aged; D019124:Therapeutic Touch; D055986:Vital Signs