LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To evaluate how Swedish massage affects the level of anxiety and vital signs of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. METHODS Quasi-experimental study. INCLUSION CRITERIA ICU patients, 18-50 years old, cooperative, respiratory and hemodynamic stable, not under invasive mechanical ventilation. EXCLUSION CRITERIA allergic to massage oil, vascular or orthopedic post-operative, skin lesions, thrombosis, fractures. A 30-min Swedish massage was applied once. VARIABLES arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, S-STAI questionnaire. Timing of evaluation: pre-massage, immediately post-massage, 30 min post-massage. Comparison: T-test, corrected by Bonferroni method, level of significance of 5%, confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS 48 patients included, 30 (62.5%) female, mean age 55.46 (15.70) years old. Mean S-STAI pre-massage: 42.51 (9.48); immediately post-massage: 29.34 (6.37); 30 min post-massage: 32.62 (8.56), p < 0.001 for all comparison. Mean vital signs achieved statistical significance between pre-massage and immediately post-massage. CONCLUSION Swedish massage reduced anxiety of ICU patients immediately and 30 min post-massage. Vital signs were reduced immediately post-massage.