title: Bed and shower baths: comparing the perceptions of patients with acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the perceptions of patients with acute myocardial infarction concerning bed and shower baths and evaluate how antecedent variables influence their perceptions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Professionals are often oblivious to the fact that, when performing a bed bath, they are manipulating someone else's body and invading someone's privacy and intimacy. This lack of awareness may trigger various responses in patients, such as dissatisfaction and anxiety. Several studies assessing the perceptions of patients when receiving a bed bath, and most are qualitative. Thus, there is a need to quantify these perceptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research was a crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 71 patients with acute myocardial infarction, admitted to coronary units. Patients were evaluated on two occasions: after their second bed bath and after their second shower bath. A Semantic Differential Scale was constructed and validated prior to data collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The perception of patients receiving shower baths was significantly more positive than those of patients receiving bed baths (<0·0001). The only variable that interfered with the general perception of patients was prior hospitalisation (p = 0·0468). Patients who previously experienced a hospitalisation had a less positive perception, concerning both the bed and shower baths, than those who were hospitalised for the first time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perceptions of patients receiving bed baths were less positive than those of patients receiving shower baths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perceptions of patients receiving baths are very important to guiding nursing care and developing strategies to minimise patient dissatisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Federal University of São Paulo, and Clinical Nurse, Heart Institute, São Paulo, Brazil. julianalimalopes@gmail.com
authors.forename: Juliana L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Luiz A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Martins
authors.forename: Alba Lbl
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Barros
mesh_terms: D001494:Baths / Q000379:methods*; D001513:Beds; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000523:psychology*