| The Usefulness of the Hot Pack as a Complementary Technique for the Treatment of Non-specific Abdominal Pain or Acute Gastroenteritis in an Emergency Department |
| Ji Hyung Moon, Gyu Chong Cho, Choong Hyun Cho, Ji Yeong Ryu, Jung Hwan Ahn |
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. erdrajh@naver.com
2Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea. |
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| ABSTRACT |
PURPOSE:
The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the hot pack as a complementary technique for the treatment of nonspecific abdominal pain or acute gastroenteritis in a hospital emergency department.
METHODS:
This study was conducted as a prospective case-controlled trial of patients with nonspecific abdominal pain or acute gastroenteritis who visited an emergency department. A total of 166 participants, from 18 to 75 years old, were divided into two groups: patients treated with antispasmodics and hot pack (WH) group (n=83) and patients treated with antispasmodics without a hot pack (WOH) group (n=83). Patients rated their pain using the 10 cm numerical rating scale (NRS). Pain NRS was assessed four times: first on arrival and then at 1, 2, and 3 hours after treatment.
The frequency of tramadol use and residence time was also assessed.
RESULTS:
The two groups did not significantly differ in age or gender distribution. The mean NRS score also did not significantly differ between the groups upon arrival (p=0.847). The NRS scores at 1 hour and 2 hours after treatment in the WH group were significantly lower than NRS scores in the WOH group (p<0.001). There was no significant difference, however in NRS scores after 3 hours for both groups (p=0.091). There was a significant difference in NRS scores between admission and after 1 hour (p=0.005) and a significant difference in NRS scores between 2 hours and 3 hours (p<0.001). The frequency of tramadol use significantly differed between groups (p<0.01) but there was no significant difference in residence time in each group.
CONCLUSION:
The hot pack is an effective complementary technique for reducing abdominal pain in the hospital emergency department. |
| Key words:
Abdominal pain, Heating, Method, Pain management |
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