Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42037043›Full record

Trial reportTheScientificWorldJournal2026

The Effect of Foot Reflexology Massage on Delirium and Physiological Indicators in Children Admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Zahra Mazhari, Ali Manafi Anari, Farshad Heidari-Beni, Mona Alinejad-Naeini

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in TheScientificWorldJournal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Zahra MazhariPediatric and Intensive Neonatal Nursing Department, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, iums.ac.ir.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7685-7241
Ali Manafi AnariDepartment of Pediatrics, Ali Asghar Children Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, iums.ac.ir.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5199-2343
Farshad Heidari-BeniCommunity-Oriented Nursing Midwifery Research Center, Nursing and Midwifery School, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran, skums.ac.ir.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2100-1574
Mona Alinejad-NaeiniPediatric and Intensive Neonatal Nursing Department, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, iums.ac.ir.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4596-7533

Funding

Iran University of Medical Sciences 1403-1-3-3016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChildren in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are commonly affected by delirium, which poses considerable challenges in clinical management. Changes in vital signs can serve as early warning indicators of disease progression in children. Nonpharmacological interventions in the handling of delirium and improvement of physiological indicators include various types of massage. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of foot reflexology massage on delirium and physiological indicators in children admitted to the PICU.

methodsThis randomized clinical trial was directed in the PICU of Ali Asghar Hospital, affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The study randomly assigned a total of 74 participants to either an intervention group or a control group. Foot reflexology massage was administered to the intervention group. Information was captured before and after the intervention using tools assessing demographic information/data, physiological indicators, and pediatric delirium (Cornell tool).

resultsThe analysis revealed that on the second day, the frequency of delirium in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group after the intervention (p = 0.004). Also, immediately after the intervention, heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.026, and p = 0.002, respectively). Also, the results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in arterial blood oxygen saturation between the two groups after the intervention (p = 0.345).

conclusionThe evidences of our study show that foot reflexology can decrease delirium and regulate heart rate and blood pressure, but its effect on arterial blood oxygen saturation requires further investigation.

Indexed as

DeliriumFootIntensive Care Units, PediatricMassageBlood PressureChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHeart RateHumansIranMaledeliriumfoot reflexology massagepediatric intensive care unitphysiological indicators

Identifiers

PMID42037043
PMCPMC13111914

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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.