title: Effect of subcutaneous Enoxaparin injection duration on bruising size in acute coronary syndrome patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bruising is an unpleasant result of subcutaneous injection of Enoxaparin, which causes physical discomfort, limitation of injection site, patient's refusal of treatment, and distrust in nurses' ability. The application of techniques which reduce patients' fear, anxiety, and physical damage is one of the tasks of nurses. This clinical trial investigated the effect of duration of subcutaneous Enoxaparin injection on the bruising size in acute coronary syndrome patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy 35-75-year-old acute coronary syndrome patients hospitalized in Coronary Care Units were selected randomly. Each subject received 10- and 30-sec duration of injections by a single researcher on both sides of the abdomen in 12-h intervals. The bruising size was measured using a transparent millimeter measuring paper, 24 and 48 h after each injection. Data were gathered by a data recording form (demographic and measurements data) and analyzed by descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests through SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that the mean bruising sizes at 24 h after 10- and 30-sec injection were 33.26 mm(2) (72.77) and 48.96 mm(2) (99.91), respectively, and at 48 h were 15.61 mm(2) (142.02) and 52.48 mm(2) (143), respectively. There was no significant relationship between the two techniques (P > 0.05), although the effect of age on bruising size was significant (P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the findings of the present study, length of Enoxaparin subcutaneous injection has no effect on the bruising size.
authors.affiliation: Faculty Member of Nursing and Midwifery College, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Khadije
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.affiliation: Department of Coronary Care Unit, Dr. Shariati Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Najari
authors.affiliation: Faculty Member of Nursing and Midwifery College, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamideh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dehghani
keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Enoxaparin; bruising; subcutaneous injection