Effects of love glove application on vital signs for COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.
Funda Karaman, Asli Genc, Ayse Nur Yerebakan Sen and 5 others
PMID 38391100WHAT IT FOUND
Applying warm-water-filled gloves to ICU patients' hands significantly lowered blood pressure and raised oxygen saturation.
However, respiratory rate also increased significantly. Pulse and temperature showed no significant change. The study lacked a control group, so these shifts cannot be confidently attributed to the intervention.
Key findings
01Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly after the application.
02Oxygen saturation increased significantly after the application.
03Respiratory rate increased significantly, while pulse rate and body temperature did not change significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
No control group was used, so it is impossible to know if the vital sign changes were due to the intervention or natural variation/concurrent treatments. The sample size was small (30 patients). Half the patients were unconscious (Glasgow Coma Scale 3), so psychosocial benefits could not be assessed. The increase in respiratory rate was statistically significant but clinically unexplained, potentially indicating a rebound effect or confounding factors.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The research received no specific grant from any funding agency.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the intervention caused the observed vital sign changes. The study had no control group, and the significant increase in respiratory rate contradicts the expected relaxation response, suggesting the results may reflect natural fluctuation or other ICU factors rather than the effect of the gloves.