Effects of Vibration and Breathing Exercises on Pain and Anxiety During Chest Tube Removal

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.