An interventional study of Vibration and Breathing Exercises in Postoperative Pain, Anxiety and Thoracic Drainage, sponsored by Gamze BULUT. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-23.
Sponsored by Gamze BULUT · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Removing a chest tube is a common procedure after chest surgery, but it can cause significant pain and anxiety for patients. Although medications can help reduce these symptoms, they may have side effects and are not always sufficient. Therefore, simple and safe non-drug methods are increasingly used to improve patient comfort.
This randomized controlled study aims to examine the effects of vibration and breathing exercises applied before chest tube removal on patients' pain and anxiety levels. Adult patients with a chest tube will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a vibration group, a breathing exercise group, or a control group receiving standard care. Pain and anxiety levels will be measured before the procedure and after chest tube removal using validated scales.
The findings of this study are expected to show whether vibration and breathing exercises are effective in reducing pain and anxiety during chest tube removal. If effective, these methods may offer nurses an easy, low-cost, and safe way to improve patient comfort and support evidence-based nursing care.
Chest tube removal is a necessary clinical procedure following thoracic surgery, but it is frequently associated with acute pain and heightened anxiety. These symptoms may negatively affect patient comfort, cooperation, and recovery. While pharmacological interventions are commonly used to manage procedure-related pain and anxiety, concerns regarding side effects and limited effectiveness have increased interest in non-pharmacological approaches within nursing care.
This randomized controlled study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of vibration and breathing exercises applied prior to chest tube removal on pain and anxiety levels. Eligible adult patients hospitalized in a thoracic surgery unit and scheduled for chest tube removal will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a vibration group, a breathing exercise group, or a control group receiving routine care. Randomization will be performed using a web-based randomization tool to ensure equal allocation.
In the vibration group, a portable vibration device will be applied to the area proximal to the chest tube insertion site for a standardized duration before the removal procedure. In the breathing exercise group, participants will be guided through structured breathing exercises designed to promote relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing. The control group will receive standard clinical care without any additional non-pharmacological intervention.
Pain intensity and anxiety levels will be assessed at two time points: prior to the chest tube removal procedure and shortly after the procedure. Validated measurement tools will be used to ensure reliability of the findings. Data will be analyzed to compare changes in pain and anxiety levels within and between groups.
The results of this study are expected to provide evidence regarding the use of vibration and breathing exercises as simple, safe, and cost-effective nursing interventions to reduce pain and anxiety associated with chest tube removal. These findings may contribute to the development of evidence-based, non-pharmacological strategies in clinical nursing practice.
5,093 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain, Postoperative; 1,140 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 75 across 4,344 interventional studies indexed under Pain, Postoperative.
Browse Pain, Postoperative studies →Gamze BULUT is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
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Exclusion criteria
Participants in this group will receive a non-pharmacological intervention consisting of vibration before chest tube removal. Vibration will be applied proximal to the chest tube insertion site for a standard duration using a portable vibrating device. The interventions will be performed in addition to routine clinical care.
Other: Vibration
Participants in the control group will receive routine clinical care according to standard hospital protocols prior to chest tube removal. No additional non-pharmacological interventions, including vibration or breathing exercises, will be applied before the procedure.
Individuals in the breathing exercise group will be led through breathing exercises by the researcher in their room before the procedure begins. The exercise duration is approximately 8-10 minutes. The environment should be quiet, at room temperature, and well-ventilated during the exercises. The patient should be seated in a comfortable position, and the following steps will be followed.
Other: Breathing Exercises
Vibration will be applied using a portable data device inserted for a standard duration, combined with chest tube placement. The procedure will be performed with the patient in a comfortable position.
The remaining patients will be given breathing exercises including slow, deep, diaphragmatic, and iced-lip breathing techniques. These exercises will be performed calmly and quietly by the researcher to promote relaxation. The combined intervention will continue in addition to routine clinical care until the procedures and chest tube removal expense are completed.
Pain Intensity
Pain intensity associated with chest tube removal will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a validated 10-cm scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Participants will self-report their pain level.
Time frame: Assessed immediately before chest tube removal and 10 minutes after the procedure.
Anxiety Level
Anxiety levels will be measured using the State Anxiety Inventory (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - State subscale), a validated self-report questionnaire designed to assess situational anxiety. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.
Time frame: Assessed immediately before chest tube removal and 10 minutes after the procedure.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared. The data collected in this study include sensitive health information, and sharing IPD may pose a risk to participant confidentiality and privacy. In addition, the informed consent obtained from participants does not include permission for data sharing beyond the research team. Therefore, IPD will be used solely for the purposes of this study and related scientific
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This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Dec 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Gamze BULUT