Factors Associated with Patient Symptoms in Ischemic Heart Patients Awaiting Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), waiting time, comorbidity, depression and patient symptoms in ischemic heart patients awaiting coronary artery bypass graft- ing (CABG). Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design. Results: The 88 eligible inpatients, (61 men, 27 women) with an average age of 67.9 years (S.D.= 10.1). The average LVEF was 52.6% (S.D. = 16.4). The average waiting time was 34.6 days (S.D. = 35.9). The most frequently reported co-morbid disease was hypertension. Depression score was 9.1 points on average (S.D. = 5.6), and the most common symptoms while awaiting CABG included shortness of breath and chest pain. Factors significantly associated with patient symptoms were comorbidity, waiting time, and depression (r = .256; p <.05, r = .283; p <.01, r = .476; p<.01), but no significant association was found between LVEF and patient symptoms (r = -.031; p = .775). Conclusion: The study findings could be used to develop interventions or guidelines to provide nursing care to manage patient symptoms while awaiting CABG. The foreseeable guidelines should consider including LVEF, waiting time, comorbidities and depression.

Keywords

• Ischemic heart patients
• patient symptoms
• awaiting coronary artery bypass grafting