Cardiovascular Nursing Journal
Year:2015 | Volume:3 | Issue:4|Papers Count:7

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the eight-week concurrent training on quality of life in patients with myocardial infarction. .Background: Myocardial infarction is a major cause of mortality around the world. Myocardial infarction affects patient''s quality of life significantly, and it is important to find modalities to reduce harmful effects of the disease.Method: A randomized clinical trial was conducted. Thirty patients referred to Taleghani hospital, located in Tehran, Iran were recruited and randomly assigned to either experimental (n=15) or control group (n=15). Patients in experimental group trained three times a week for eight weeks in cardiac rehabilitation department of Taleghani hospital. Quality of life was evaluated before and after training by SF-36 questionnaire. In order to analyze the data, SPSS version 18 was used.Findings: The results showed that when compared with control group, the quality of life in experimental group has increased significantly. .Conclusion: According to the findings, it seems that eight weeks of concurrent training can improve quality of life in patients with myocardial infarction.

Aim: This study was conducted to examine the effect of acupressure on severity of pain and fatigue in patients with chronic heart failure.Background: Patients with chronic heart failure experience high levels of pain and fatigue. Acupressure is a simple, inexpensive and non-invasive method which may reduce the pain and fatigue in patients with chronic heart failure.Method: In this single blind randomized clinical trial, 72 patients with chronic heart failure were recruited. Subjects were equally divided into two groups of experimental and placebo, by random allocation method. Then visual analogue scale and fatigue severity scale was used to evaluate the severity of pain and fatigue in each group. The members of experimental group were under acupressure in KI3 , GV20 and CV6 point for 3 minutes bilaterally. In addition, the participants were instructed to perform acupressure in same point three times a day for four weeks. Subjects in placebo group were trained to touch the points. Four weeks after intervention, the severity of pain and fatigue was measured in both groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS.Findings: The study findings showed no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of demographics, and severity of pain (p=1.000) and severity of fatigue (p=0.285) before intervention. After four weeks of intervention, a statistically significant relief on severity of pain (p=0.006) and fatigue (p≤0.0001) was seen in experimental group compared with placebo group.Conclusion: Acupressure can be effective in decreasing severity of pain and fatigue in people with chronic heart failure.

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of instrumental music on sleep in patients admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU).Background: Poor quality sleep, as a distressing situation, can aggravate myocardial ischemia and infarction. The music as a cheap, and noninvasive approach with a slow rhythm, monotonous and repetitive, may have inducing-sleep or relaxation effect.Method: The present study was a clinical trial conducted in 2014. The samples consisted of 72 patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted to coronary care unit of hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. They were selected using the simple random sampling method and divided into experimental (n=36) and control (n=36) group. The quality of sleep was measured in the beginning of hospitalization and three days after admision, and the quantity of sleep was measured all the three days using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index and the sleep log quantity indices in experimental and control group. The intervention was implemented in the form of playing instrumental music in headphones since the first night of hospitalization for a three-night time span (45 minutes a night) in the beginning of the patients’ sleep. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 16, using descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square, fisher's exact test, independent samples T test).Findings: According to the findings, the mean change in the sleep quality score, before and after intervention, and sleep quantity at the three nights of hospitalization were significantly different between experimental and control group (p<0.0001). ).Conclusion: The instrumental music can be effective in improving patients’ sleep quality and quantity. Therefore, nurses can benefit from this non-pharmacological method in their daily care to improve their patients’ sleep.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current and expected status of comfort from the point of view of hospitalized cardiac surgery patients.Background:Providing comfort for the patient is one of the most important aspects of nursing that should be considered in all aspects of care as the top nursing care priority.Method: This was a descriptive comparative cross-sectional study in which 292 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were recruited as study sample. Data collection tool was a demographic form and modified form of Kolcaba's comfort questionnaire evaluating the current and expected status of comfort. After that the reliability and validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, it was completed by interview, the second day after surgery. Data analysis was performed by SPSS, version 16.Findings: The participants reported the best current status of comfort in psychospiritual (63.57 percent) and sociocultural (62.71 percent) domains of comfort, and rated physical domain of comfort as the lowest one(36.64 percent). Patients reported the comfort status in the environmental domain as moderate (54.78 percent). The most expectation of the patients were to be provided with comfort in psychospiritual (92.02 percent), environmental (91.14 percent) and physical (90.96 percent) domains, respectively, and the provision of comfort in sociocultural domain were least expected (88.16 percent). There was a statistically significant relationship of comfort with gender, age, education, occupation, place of residence, income, number of family members, physical activity and history of heart surgery, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.Conclusion: Patients reported less comfort in the physical domain and the most expected domain of comfort was psycho-spiritual. It is recommended that nurses pay more attention to providing comfort in physical and psychospiritual domains.

Aim. This study aimed to examine the effect of intraoperative progress report on anxiety of family members of patients under cardiac catheterization.Background. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for CAD produce considerable anxiety in familymembers of the patient. Simple and clear explanations about physical and emotional status of the patientmay decrease family members’ anxiety.Method. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 90 family members (45 in control and 45 in experimental group) of patients referred to angiography department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran.Intraoperative progress report was implemented for experimental group. Data collection tools were demographic form and Spielberger questionnaire. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 17, using descriptiveand inferential statistics.Findings. Before intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between anxiety scores forexperimental (57.64±6.52) and group (50.11±8.32). After intervention, anxiety score in experimental group(46.22±5.18) was significantly lower than that of control group (57.48±7.20) (P<0.0001). Within-groupcomparisons showed that changes in anxiety score was statistically significant in both groups, it is to benoted that changes in anxiety score in experimental group was decreasing, while for the control group wasincreasing.Conclusion. According to the findings, intraoperative progress report during angiography in a simple andclear manner that is understandable for family members may decrease their anxiety. It is suggested to include this supportive intervention as part of nursing care delivered by nurses in angiography departments.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. The number of people with cardiovascular disease is increasing. This review article discusses the role of Vitamin D and Vitamin D deficiency complications in cardiovascular system.Methods: This review article was conducted by searching out electronic databases as Google scholar, Elsevier, PupMed, PMC, and Springer to find articles published between 2007 and 2015. The keywords searched out were: “Cardiovascular disease AND Vit D”, “Vit D AND Hypertension”, “Vit D AND Heart”, “Vit D AND Atherosclerosis”, and “Vit D deficiency”.Findings: The response of Vitamin D receptors in all tissues including cardiovascular system (in presence of sufficient amount of Vitamin D) can prevent from uncontrolled growth and proliferation of cells in cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle of vessels wall. This is done by specific gene control through 1/25 Dihydroxyvitamin D (active form of Vitamin D). These genes control proliferation and differentiation of cells resulting in prevention of cardiovascular tissue hypertrophy and vessel thickness. Studies revealed that Vitamin D deficiency can cause inadvertent complications in cardiovascular system but it isn’t completely clear that administration of vitamin D can be beneficial in treatment of cardiovascular disease.Conclusion: It is essential that adequate levels of Vitamin D is provided and replaced in the body before complications happen.

Aim: This study reviews the various studies conducted about using stem cells in the treatment of peripheral arterial disorders.Background: Arterial disorders have affected approximately 8 to 12 million individuals in the united states and is associated with significant mortality morbidity and mortality. Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the end stage of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. The mainstay of therapy for severe ischemia is endovascular revascularization with the aim of improving blood flow to the affected limb. However, for 20 to 30 percent of patients with CLI that are not considered for endovascular revascularization stem cell therapy may be useful.Method: In this review, after the searching out databases and electronic resources the latest and most relevant studies about the use of stem cell therapy were considered.Findings: The studies have shown that stem cell therapy is useful for peripheral arterial disorders, especially for those patients who are not candidate for surgical treatment. It has been found that this method is more effective for patients with Buerger's disease than those with peripheral arterial disorders, and that intramuscular injection method is preferred to intra-arterial injection method. It has been shown that using stem cells derived from bone marrow is more effective and less costly than stem cells derived from peripheral blood. This method is not associated with significant side effects and well tolerated by patient.Conclusion: Stem cell therapy is an effective and promising treatment strategy, especially in patients who are not candidate for endovascular surgery.