Effects of Abdominal Massage for Preventing Acute Postoperative Constipation in Hip Fractures: A Prospective Interventional Study

BACKGROUND: This prospective randomized controlled study aimed to determine the effects of abdominal massage on constipation management in elderly patients with hip fractures. METHODS: From August 2017 to December 2018, patients aged above 65 years with hip fractures (n = 88) were randomly assigned to a massage group that received a bowel massage (n = 48) or a control group that did not receive a bowel massage (n = 40). Patients in the bowel massage group received a bowel massage from a trained caregiver after breakfast at approximately 9:00 AM for an hour. On admission, 5 days after surgery, and on the day of discharge, the patient’s normal and actual defecation pattern, stool consistency, and any problems with defecation were assessed through a structured interview. The questionnaire comprising the Bristol Stool Scale, patient assessment of constipation, time to defecation, medication for defecations, failure to defecate, cause of admission, admission period, and date of surgery were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed 5 days after surgery and on the day of discharge. RESULTS: The mean age of the study cohort was 81.4 years (range, 65–99 years). The number of constipation remedies was significantly lower in the massage group than in the control group on postoperative day (POD) 5 and at discharge (9 vs. 15, p = 0.049 and 6 vs. 11, p = 0.039, respectively). The number of defecation failures was significantly lower in the massage group than in the control group (10 vs. 17, p = 0.028) on POD 5. However, the number of defecation failures at discharge was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.131). The development of postoperative ileus (p = 0.271) and length of hospital stay (p = 0.576) were not different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The number of constipation remedies was significantly lower in the massage group than in the control group on POD 5 and discharge, and the number of defecation failures was significantly lower in the massage group than in the control group on POD 5. Therefore, abdominal massage may be considered as an independent nursing initiative for constipation management.