Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aims at confirming the effects of the chest meridian massage on the post-anesthetic recovery of general anesthesia appendectomy patients. METHOD: The research was post-test designed as a nonequivalent control group among quasi-experiments tested. The data was collected from June 20, 2003 to October 14, 2003 at a hospital in P city. In the collected data, using SPSS Win 10.0 program, these general features were analyzed by real numbers and percentages; the homogeneity among variables by chi2-test and t-test and the research hypothesis by the t-test. RESULT: Hypothesis 1; The experimental group receiving the treatment of the chest meridian massage will have a much higher post-anesthetic recovery score than that of the control group not receiving it was supported(t=2.544, p=.014). Hypothesis 2; The experimental group receiving the treatment of the chest meridian massage will have a much shorter time of stay in the recovery room than that of the control group not receiving it was supported(t=-4.919, p=.000). CONCLUSION: According to these results, it may be concluded that Chest Meridian Massage is effective in producing a higher level of post-anesthetic recovery score and helps appendectomy patients reduce the time of stay in the recovery room. Therefore the chest meridian massage can be considered as an intervention therapy for directly nursing general anesthesia appendectomy patients.

• Keywords: Chest meridian massage; General anesthesia; Post anesthetic recovery