Trial reportNursing in critical care2022
Effect of abdominal massage on bowel evacuation in neurosurgical intensive care patients.
Trial report in Nursing in critical care, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04979351 (The Effect of Post Colonoscopy Abdominal Massage on Abdominal Pain, Distension, Discomfort and Patient Satisfaction), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effect of Post Colonoscopy Abdominal Massage on Abdominal Pain, Distension, Discomfort and Patient Satisfaction: A Randomized Controlled Study Protocol
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Effect of Abdominal Massage and In-Bed Exercise on Gastrointestinal Complications, Pain and Comfort in Palliative Care Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial.Scandinavian journal of caring sciences · 2026Trial
- Observational
- Scientific Evidence-based Effects of Abdominal Massage in People with Constipation: A Narrative Review.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere are many factors, which affect the bowel evacuation of neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) patients, resulting in constipation. AIM AND
objectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate effect of abdominal massage on bowel evacuation and the risk of constipation in NICU patients.
designA prospective, randomized-controlled clinical trial.
methodsThe sample of this study included 80 NICU patients. The patients were randomly assigned to abdominal massage and control groups. The constipation risk of all the patients was assessed with Constipation Risk Assessment Scale (CRAS). The patients in the abdominal massage group received a total of 30 minutes of massage, 15 minutes every morning and evening, until the first defecation. The bowel sounds of all patients in the abdominal massage and control groups were assessed on a daily basis. The days when bowel sounds were heard and the first defecation took place were recorded in a Bowel Evacuation Form.
resultsThe risk of constipation was higher in the patients in the abdominal massage (CRAS score 19.02 ± 1.81) and control groups (CRAS score 20.45 ± 2.61). The time of return of bowel sounds and the time of the first defecation were earlier in the abdominal massage group, compared to the control group (P < .05). In the control group, there was a weak correlation (P = .004) between the CRAS score and the time of return of bowel sounds, while there was a moderate correlation between the CRAS score and the time of the first defecation (P < .001).
conclusionOur study results show that the risk of constipation is high in NICU patients, and abdominal massage is an effective nursing intervention to shorten the time of return of bowel sounds and the time of the first defecation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses can safely apply abdominal massage to improve bowel evacuation in NICU patients.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.