title: The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on post-thoracotomy pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pain guidelines suggest transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as a reliable analgesic method in postoperative pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted as a randomized controlled study to determine the effect of TENS on postoperative pain and analgesic consumption in patients who have undergone posterolateral thoracotomy (PLT).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the Thoracic Surgery Clinic of a university hospital with 40 patients (test group: 20, control group: 20) and its power was 99%. While, test group patients were administered TENS, the control group patients were not. The pain assessment and analgesic consumption in both groups were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pain levels and analgesic consumption of the test group were lower than that of the control group (p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TENS reduced PLT pain and analgesic consumption. Thus, TENS can be recommended as an easy and reliable analgesic method in PLT.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences , Cukurova University , Adana , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevilay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Nursing , Hacettepe University , Ankara , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevilay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Senol Celik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics
keywords: TENS; analgesics; nurse; pain; thoracotomy