Background & Aim: One of the cause of anxiety for most patients is hospitalization. Once the patients are hospitalized for cardiac catheterization, the anxiety would be augmented. The anxiety raises body physiological and psychological activities such as: heart rate and respiratory rate. This research, as clinical trial study, has the objective to determine the influence of applying two methods of relaxation and premeditation on respiratory rate and pulse rate in hospitalized patients, experiencing coronary angiography, in heart and postangio wards of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Zanjan, at 2003.

Methods & Materials: 40 patients who were candidates for CA, has been studied, in regard to existing conditions and methods of sampling and random allocation to two groups of relaxation, and premedication. Data collection tool included demographic and disease related information sheet, as well as record sheets for respiratory rate and pulse rate at intervals of 8-12 and ½ hrs before, during and after the angiography. For relaxation group, the researcher would speak individually about the influence of relaxation, the day before angiography then with the aid of client himself/herself, performed relaxation instances in a single bout, and eventually asked client to perform relaxation technique 2-3 times before going for angiography. In premedication group, patients received regular preangiographic medications including diazepam, chlorpheniramine, metoclopramid, and hydrocortisone. Respiratory rate and pulse rate were measured in both groups 8-12 and ½ hrs, before during and after CA. Afterward, resulted data were analyzed statistically by (SPSS) software for windows.

Results: Pulse rate at 8-12 hours before, during and after the angiography showed no significant difference between two groups (p>0.05). Thus our research hypothesis that “alterations of respiratory rate and pulse rate in patients under coronary angiography, who get relaxation, are identical to those in premedicaton group”, would be confirmed

Conclusion: These results show that the premeditation method can be substituted by relaxation before practicing invasive procedures.

Background & Objective: Labor potentially causes stress and anxiety, especially in nulliparous women. In Iran, many pregnant women undergo cesarean section electively due to fear of labor pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of reflexology on the anxiety level, blood pressure, and pulse in nulliparous women in Kerman.
Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 70 nulliparous women with gestational age more than 37 weeks and cervical dilatation of 3-4 cm were recruited for the study. The participants were randomly allocated to two equal reflexology and control groups. The reflexology group received the intervention for 20 minutes (each foot: 10 minutes) on their feet and the control group received massage for 20 minutes on their legs. Anxiety level, blood pressure and pulse rate were measured at baseline and immediately after the intervention using Spielberger questionnaire.
Results: Anxiety level did not differ between the two groups at baseline (P=0.85). After the intervention, the mean of anxiety level was significantly lower in the reflexology group than in the control one (P<0.001). The pulse rate (P=0.44) and blood pressure (P=0.59) did not differ significantly in two study groups after the intervention.
Conclusion: Reflexology reduced anxiety level in labor.