Ambulation of hospitalized gynecologic surgical patients: A randomized controlled trial

摘要

Several randomized studies have suggested that patients benefit from early ambulation after abdominal surgery. Research on possible benefits has been hampered by the lack of a quantifiable, standardized definition for adequate ambulation or any guidelines to determine the adequacy of postsurgical ambulation. Moreover, no data are available from randomized trials or other studies that quantify how much the average patient ambulates after abdominal surgery.This randomized controlled trial was designed to determine whether specific ambulation goals (goal-enhanced postoperative care) affect patient-perceived barriers to ambulation or the adequacy of in-hospital postoperative ambulation of patients who underwent major gynecology surgery. One hundred forty-six women undergoing major gynecologic surgery at an urban medical center were randomized to usual care (n = 77) or goal-enhanced postoperative care (n = 69). The primary study outcomes were the number of pedometer-recorded steps documented in the 24 hours immediately before discharge and patient-perceived barriers to ambulation. Patient-identified ambulation obstacles were assessed using a 10-question patient survey. A Mann-Whitney U test was used for group comparison.