Introduction: Chest tube insertion emerged as a vital intervention for patients with thoracic trauma. This procedure often causes anxiety among patients. Non-pharmacological approaches like acupressure as potential treatments can be used for anxiety reduction. This study aimed to determine the effect of acupressure on alleviating anxiety during chest tube removal in patients with thoracic trauma.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 204 patients from Zahedan were randomly divided into the intervention group (n=102) and the control group (n=102). The acupressure intervention was administered to patients in the intervention group. The anxiety levels were evaluated using the Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale both when the chest tube was inserted and when it was removed.
Results: The outcomes showed that the scores of Anxiety were a statistically significant difference in the mean total anxiety score after the intervention (P=0.0001).
Conclusion: The insertion and removal of a chest tube following trauma can induce anxiety in individuals. Considering the crucial role of nurses in patient care, non-pharmacological approaches like acupressure can be employed to alleviate anxiety. Acupressure is a low-cost, affordable, and readily available method that can effectively reduce anxiety levels in patients undergoing chest tube procedures.