ICOUGH Bundle and Postoperative Pain and Nausea After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Overview

This study will use a randomized controlled experimental research design. The population of the study will consist of all adult patients who undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the General Surgery Clinic of Atatürk University Research Hospital between December 2024 and September 2025. The data will be collected using a Descriptive Information Form and the Visual Analogue Scale. The research has received institutional approval and ethics committee approval. The study will be conducted with collaboration from healthcare professionals in the clinic after they have been informed. Patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in the study after being approached one day before surgery. Oral and written consent will be obtained from those who volunteer and agree to participate. The data will be analyzed using SPSS for Windows 22 software.

Post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy, patients may experience pain at the incision site, internal organ pain, and shoulder pain. Shoulder pain occurs due to the irritation of the diaphragm peritoneum by dissolved CO2 gas, causing the diaphragm to stretch, which stimulates the phrenic nerve and results in shoulder pain in these patients. This shoulder pain is typically felt up to 72 hours or three days after surgery. Shoulder pain in these patients is typically felt for up to 72 hours or three days after surgery. Pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopy can also produce vagal stimulation, which can lead to nausea and vomiting. In this context, the removal of CO2 is essential for managing post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy CO2-related pain. Given the relatively common and costly occurrence of postoperative respiratory complications, various protocols have been used to reduce the risk of these complications. One such protocol is the ICOUGH (Incentive spirometry, Coughing and deep breathing, Oral care, Patient understanding of the interventions, Getting out of bed and Head of bed elevation) bundle, developed by the Boston University School of Medicine in 2012 to reduce postoperative respiratory complications. This respiratory care bundle improves oxygenation and CO2 elimination, thus increasing the patient's recovery rate, reducing the amount of analgesics used, and shortening the time to return to daily activities. The ICOUGH bundle, which is among the important independent responsibilities of perioperative nurses, helps reduce shoulder pain and accelerate postoperative recovery by increasing CO2 elimination and oxygenation. The use of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief in the postoperative period strengthens the nurse's role in pain management. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of the ICOUGH bundle on shoulder pain, abdominal pain, and nausea after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.