Effect of applying cold gel pack on the pain associated with deep breathing and coughing after open heart surgery.

Background: Coughing and deep breathing after sternotomy causes severe pain. This study was conducted to assess the effect of cold therapy on the pain in patients undergoing open heart surgery.

Materials And Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with crossover design, 50 eligible and consenting patients were recruited and randomly allocated to gel pack and non-gel pack groups on the first postoperative day.