Effects of Short-Term Arm Sling Use After Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Placement

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of short-term medical arm sling use during the first 24 hours after cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation on patient comfort, pain, satisfaction, and early device-related complications. Adult patients undergoing first-time implantation of a permanent pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either an intervention group or a control group. Patients in the intervention group will receive standard postoperative care and use a medical arm sling on the side of device implantation for 24 hours. Patients in the control group will receive standard postoperative care without an arm sling. Both groups will otherwise receive the same nursing care, including wound monitoring, pain management, and early mobilization education. Pain and comfort will be assessed during the first 24 hours after implantation. Patient satisfaction with arm sling use will be evaluated in the intervention group at 24 hours. Early device-related complications, including pocket hematoma, bleeding, swelling, wound-related findings, lead dislodgement, device abnormalities, and other early postoperative complications, will be assessed during hospitalization, at discharge, and at the first-week follow-up. Outcome assessments will be performed by an investigator who is blinded to group allocation.