The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on pain and vital signs during chest tube removal

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Abstract
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on pain and vital signs during chest tube removal (CTR). Methodology: This randomized controlled study was conducted with a group of patients treated in the thoracic surgery unit of a university hospital between May 2023 to September 2023. Participants were equally allocated using simple randomization. This randomized-controlled study collected data 60 thoracic surgery patients using Patient Information Form (PIF) and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). TENS was applied for a total of one hour, 2-3 cm from the chest tube site. The pain level and vital signs of the patients were assessed at immediately before (T1), during (T2) and immediately after (T3) the CTR in all groups. Results: Pain levels were significantly lower in the TENS group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, a significance was found between the groups at T2 for Heart Rate (HR), T2-T3 for Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and T2-T3 for Respiratory Rate (RR). HR, SBP and RR were statistically significant at T2 time (p<0.05) in this group. Conclusion: TENS effectively reduces acute procedural pain and provide maintain stable vital signs as a safe complementary method in multimodal pain management.

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