The effects of using abdominal binder on pain intensity and mobility after cesarean section: A blind clinical trial

Abstract

Cesarean delivery may be complicated by pain, bleeding, excessive use of painkillers, infection, or other issues. A potential non-pharmacological way to reduce post-operative pain is the use of an abdominal binder, which may also affect the mobility of patients. The present investigation was performed with the purpose of evaluating the effect of using an abdominal binder on pain intensity and mobility after caesarean section at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. This study was a blind, two-group, one-stage parallel clinical trial with a control group. 184 pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into two intervention and control groups with a block size of 4 and 6 and with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Each patient in the intervention group used an abdominal binder before leaving the operating room. Both groups received routine care and medication. Data collection was performed by using demographic information questionnaire, VAS scale, and recording of painkillers received. Mobility was evaluated by performing a six-minute walking test. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 24 software, independent T test and ANOVA test. A value of P < 0.05 was considered significant. 184 women candidates for cesarean section were divided in two groups of 92 people with the average age of the control group (27.7±7.3) and the intervention group (28.58±7.01). The results demonstrated that the two investigated groups were identical in terms of demographic characteristics. Based on the independent t-test, the pain intensity score of the intervention group at different times (6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after the operation) was significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05). In addition, 12 and 24 hours after the operation, the mean and standard deviation of the mobility score of the control group was significantly lower than the intervention group (P=0.038). The mean and standard deviation of the number of times receiving sedative by the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P<0.001). The use of abdominal binder after caesarean section was effective in reducing pain, improving mobility, and receiving sedatives in some periods of time.

Keywords

• clinical trial
• abdominal binder
• caesarean section
• pain
• mobility

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