Abstract:
The purpose of this Quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect of symptom management combined with cold compression on pain and swelling of post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction patients. Participants in the present study were 44 patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction treated in an orthopedic ward, Bhumibol Adulyadej hospital. All of them were adult patients who met the inclusion criteria. A matched-pair technique was used to assign patients to experimental and control groups, each group consisted of 22 patients and similar in sex, age and anesthesia. The control group received conventional care while the experimental group attended the symptom management combined with cold compression program. The instrument for collecting data were personal information questionnaire, pain and Swelling assessment. The statistical techniques used in data analysis were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Independent t-test. Major finding was as follow: 1. After the operation at 4 hr the mean pain scores of the experimental group was not significantly. However,in the time around 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 hr., the mean pain scores of the experimental group was significantly at the statistical level of .05 (p<0.05). 2. After the operation at 24, 48 and 72 hr. the mean of knee circumference of the experimental group and control group were not significantly.