The effects of cold compress and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on the pain associated with chest tube removal among patients with coronary bypass grafting.

Background And Aim: Chest tube removal (CTR) can cause severe acute pain which is usually described by patients as a painful experience. This study compared the effects of cold compress, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and combined cold compress-TENS on CTR-associated pain among patients with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2018-2019 using a double-blind four-group design.