Impact of Foot Reflexology on Patients' Post-Craniotomy Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation and Time to Full Consciousness Recovery

Background : After craniotomy, patients with brain tumors face several problems, such as delayed endotracheal tube extubation and diminished consciousness. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on the impact of foot reflexology on patients' post-craniotomy weaning from mechanical ventilation and time to full consciousness recovery. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was used to conduct this study. Setting: The study was carried out at the neurosurgery intensive care unit at Beni-Suef University Hospital. Subjects: A purposive sample of 60 patients post-craniotomy was recruited in this study; the studied patients were assigned into two groups, with 30 patients in each group (the intervention and control groups). In the intervention group, foot reflexology was done twice a day, in the morning and the evening, for 30 minutes (15 minutes for each foot), in addition to the patient's regular care. This was done for a week. The control group just received standard post-craniotomy treatment. Tools: Four tools were used to collect data: Tool (1): Patients personal data. Tool (II) : Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Tool (III): Time of full consciousness , and Tool (IV): Withdrawal from the ventilator . Results : The findings indicated that there was no statistically significant variation in the demographic attributes of the two groups (p>0.05). The findings showed that, in comparison to the control group, the intervention group's mean scores for the amount of time required to regain consciousness and wean off of mechanical ventilation were significantly lower. Conclusion : The results showed that foot reflexology on the impact of foot reflexology have a positive effect on patients' post-craniotomy weaning from mechanical ventilation and time to full consciousness recovery. Recommendation : Foot reflexology is recommended to be applied as a non-pharmacological strategy and complementary therapy along with routine care to reduce weaning from mechanical ventilation and time to full consciousness recovery.