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NCT Number: NCT07366567

Effect of Foot Bath on Pain, Sleep, and Comfort Levels After Abdominal Surgery

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of foot bath application on pain level, comfort and sleep quality in the postoperative period.

H1: Foot baths have a postoperative pain-reducing effect. H2: Foot baths have a postoperative comfort-enhancing effect. H3: Foot baths have a postoperative sleep-improving effect.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Trakya University Hospital

Edirne, Cahit Arf Boulevard, 22030, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location contact

ZEYNEP KIZILCIK ÖZKAN, Assoc.Prof

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905056010101

About this study

The research will be conducted with the participation of surgical patients who underwent abdominal surgery between December 2025 and December 2026 in the General Surgery Department of Tekirdag University Hospital.

Using the G*Power 3.1.9.4 program, the minimum number of people to be included in the sample was found to be 88 (44:44), assuming an effect size of 0.8 at a 95% confidence level and a 95% power ratio. To avoid the risk of sample loss, it was decided to include 48 patients in each group.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • who are hospitalized in the General Surgery Clinic,
  • are on day 0 of surgery,
  • volunteer to participate in the study,
  • have no neuropsychiatric diagnosis and are not taking antipsychotic medications,
  • are over 18 years of age,
  • accept random selection,
  • and undergo abdominal surgery.
  • For the experimental group, all patients with no infectious diseases (shingles, fungal infections, eczema, warts, calluses), local infections (abscesses, etc.), open lesions/wounds, scar tissue, edema, hematomas, thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, lymphangitis, coagulation disorders, varicose veins, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, hepatitis, degenerative joint diseases, neuropathy due to diabetes, toe deformities, recent fractures, dislocations, or ruptures of muscle fibers, tendons, or ligaments will be included in the sample.

Exclusion criteria

  • patients who underwent multiple simultaneous surgeries along with abdominal surgery,
  • those with postoperative complications such as delirium,
  • those who underwent reoperation,
  • those with a pain score >7 because it could affect sleep levels,
  • and those who received narcotic analgesics on postoperative day 0 due to pain will be excluded from the sample.

Treatment and study plan

Foot bath device

Other

On the day of surgery, patients will receive a foot bath between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Any socks or clothing on both feet will be removed. The feet will be visually and manually examined to determine if they show any signs of illness (pressure ulcers, discoloration, wounds, etc.). The patient will be informed that the foot bath device is disinfected before each use and that water-tight bags will be placed around the device to prevent contact between the foot and the water to facilitate repeated use. The water temperature will be adjusted to 41-42°C using an infrared thermometer (non-contact digital thermometer). Both feet will be placed inside the foot bath device. The patient's feet will remain in the foot bath device for 20 minutes. After the foot bath, the patient's feet will be thoroughly dried with a towel, and the patient will be re-dressed in their existing socks or anti-embolic stockings. Any side effects/adverse reactions, etc., related to the foot bath will be questioned and

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain level

    Time frame: postoperative period (first day)

    "Numerical rating scale" A score of 0 (zero) indicates no pain, while a score of 10 (ten) indicates unbearable pain.

  2. sleep quality

    Time frame: postoperative period (1st day)

    "The Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire" Each item is scored on a visual analog scale from 0 to 100. Scores between 0 and 25 indicate very poor sleep, while scores between 76 and 100 indicate very good sleep.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Adverse effect

    Time frame: during application and 12 hours of application.

    Adverse effect (Yes or No)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Ayşe Nur Aktaş, Reg. Nurse

CONTACT

[email protected]

ZEYNEP KIZILCIK ÖZKAN, Assco.Prof

CONTACT

[email protected]

05056010101

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Trakya University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Foot Bath on Pain, Sleep, and Comfort Levels After Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 26, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 26, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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