The Effect of Foot Reflexology Massage on Delirium and Physiological Indicators in Children Admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION

Children in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are commonly affected by delirium, which poses considerable challenges in clinical management. Changes in vital signs can serve as early warning indicators of disease progression in children. Nonpharmacological interventions in the handling of delirium and improvement of physiological indicators include various types of massage. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of foot reflexology massage on delirium and physiological indicators in children admitted to the PICU.

METHODS

This randomized clinical trial was directed in the PICU of Ali Asghar Hospital, affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The study randomly assigned a total of 74 participants to either an intervention group or a control group. Foot reflexology massage was administered to the intervention group. Information was captured before and after the intervention using tools assessing demographic information/data, physiological indicators, and pediatric delirium (Cornell tool).

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that on the second day, the frequency of delirium in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group after the intervention (p = 0.004). Also, immediately after the intervention, heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.026, and p = 0.002, respectively). Also, the results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in arterial blood oxygen saturation between the two groups after the intervention (p = 0.345).

CONCLUSION

The evidences of our study show that foot reflexology can decrease delirium and regulate heart rate and blood pressure, but its effect on arterial blood oxygen saturation requires further investigation.