Does a Simple Touch Make a Difference? The Effect of Acupressure on Pain Scores in Infants Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND

Infants with congenital heart disease frequently undergo cardiac catheterization, an invasive procedure associated with pain and physiological stress.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to evaluate the effects of acupressure applied before and after cardiac catheterization on pain, heart rate, and oxygen saturation.

METHODS

This randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted in the pediatric cardiac surgery unit of Başkent University Ankara Hospital, Türkiye, between November 2024 and October 2025. Sixty infants aged 1-12 months with congenital heart disease who were undergoing cardiac catheterization were randomly assigned to the acupressure, placebo, or control group, with 20 infants in each group. Acupressure was applied to the HT7, LI4, and PC6 points before and after the procedure. Pain was assessed using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale, while heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured from the preprocedural period to discharge. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and chi-square tests.

RESULTS

Infants in the acupressure group had significantly lower pain scores than those in the placebo and control groups at all postprocedural time points. Heart rate values were also significantly lower in the acupressure group during follow-up. Analgesic use was less frequent in the acupressure group than in the placebo and control groups. Oxygen saturation improved over time, with no significant between-group differences at individual time points.

CONCLUSIONS

Acupressure may be an effective, noninvasive, nurse-delivered complementary intervention for reducing procedural pain, supporting physiological stability, and decreasing analgesic requirements in infants with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization.