title: Effect of eye mask on sleep quality in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep is one of the basic human needs and sleep deprivation causes nu-merous adverse effects on the human body and mind. Due to reduced sleep quality in patients with acute coronary syndrome, this study was carried out to determine the effect of eye mask on sleep quality in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this two-group controlled clinical trial, sixty patients with acute coronary syndrome in the coronary care units of Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran in 2010 were selected by purposeful sampling method and randomly allocated to two groups of case and control. In the case group, in the second night stay, the intervention of eye mask was done per night and by using the Petersburg's sleep quality index; sleep quality was evaluated during and at the end of hospitalization. Then data were analyzed by paired t-test, independent t-test, Spearman and Pearson's correlation coefficient and SPSS software version 19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total sleep quality score of the case group was significantly decreased after intervention (4.86 ± 1.88) from before intervention (10.46 ± 4.09) (p < 0.000). In addi-tion, total score of sleep quality after intervention in the case group (4.86 ± 1.88) was significant different from the control group (8.43 ± 1.97) (p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using eye mask, as an economical and uncomplicated method, can improve sleep quality in patients with acute coronary syndrome in the coronary care units and can be used as an alternative method of treatment instead of drug therapy.
authors.affiliation: MSc , Instructor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daneshmandi
authors.affiliation: MSc , Postgraduate Student, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neiseh
authors.affiliation: MSc , Instructor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: SadeghiShermeh
authors.affiliation: PhD ,Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebadi
keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Cardiac intensive care unit; Eye mask; Sleep quality