Psychologist develops post-operative care for heart patients in BermudaApril 10, 2008A psychologist at the University of Liverpool is helping to create a potentially life-saving post-operative care service for heart patients in Bermuda. The service, being developed in conjunction with the Bermuda Heart Foundation, will help support patients who have been fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). ICDs are used to treat irregular heart beats, which can lead to heart attacks. If the heart rhythm increases in speed the ICD delivers low-voltage electrical impulses to the heart in an attempt to correct the rhythm. Health care services in Bermuda are unable to offer the implants so patients are referred to Baltimore and other cities in the US where the ICD can be fitted. Patients returning to Bermuda after surgery have no post-operative care available to support them with any emotional or physical effects.
Dr Everard Thornton, from the University's School of Psychology, said: "ICDs are usually implanted in patients who have suffered a number of serious heart problems, but are now available in some areas to those who have not yet had a heart attack but who are deemed high-risk. "This treatment can often be lifesaving but the psychological effects of the implant on the patient can be wide-ranging in both symptom and severity. Initial fears of the surgery, what patients can and can't do following the operation, and fears about the physical effects of the implant delivering a shock - which can result in unconsciousness and cause incontinence - can all impact on the patient's well-being. "Some 16 per cent of patients will develop agoraphobia in the months following the operation, affecting quality of life. Poor knowledge and misconceptions about living with an ICD can lead to unnecessary worry, and for this reason it is vital that after-care is available." He added: "Patients in Bermuda, once leaving the hospital, have no access to support and so their fears begin to prevent them from living full lives. With funding from the Bermuda Heart Foundation, an aftercare service for all Bermuda residents who have had an ICD implanted can now be set up. In the future this rehabilitation service may be extended to patients with other acute cardiac conditions." University of Liverpool | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Heart Patients Current Events and Heart Patients News Articles No drop in IQ seen after bypass for child heart surgery The use of cardiopulmonary bypass does not cause short-term neurological problems in children and teenagers after surgery for less complex heart defects, according to pediatric researchers. Sleep Apnea May Be Risk Factor for Sudden Cardiac Death, Mayo Clinic Research Concludes After studying the sleep characteristics of nearly 11,000 adults in an overnight sleep laboratory, Mayo Clinic researchers suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - and, in particular, the low nighttime oxygen saturation of the blood it causes - may be a risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD). Mayo Clinic study finds risk of sudden cardiac death highest early after attack People who survive a heart attack face the greatest risk of dying from sudden cardiac death (SCD) during the first month after leaving the hospital, according to a long-term community study by Mayo Clinic researchers of nearly 3,000 heart attack survivors. Stem cell therapies for heart disease -- 1 step closer New research from the University of Bristol brings stem cell therapies for heart disease one step closer. The findings reveal that our bodies' ability to respond to an internal 'mayday' signal may hold the key to success for long-awaited regenerative medicine. Heart failure patients have higher risk of fractures Heart failure patients are at higher risk for fractures, including debilitating hip fractures, than other heart patients and should be screened and treated for osteoporosis, Canadian researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Study provides insight on a common heart rhythm disorder University of Iowa researchers and colleagues in France have identified a gene variant that causes a potentially fatal human heart rhythm disorder called sinus node disease. Mental health intervention urged for heart patients Heart patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and should be screened, and if necessary treated, to improve their recovery and overall health, according to a scientific advisory issued Monday by the American Heart Association and co-authored by a Yale School of Public Health researcher. Still puzzling: Best care for the frail and elderly with coronary artery disease A new study from Duke University Medical Center finds that patients treated solely with medications after suffering from chest pain, heart attack or coronary artery disease are more likely to die during the first year following their initial hospitalization. Disruption of blood sugar levels after heart surgery is common A study reveals today that inadequate blood sugar control in patients having heart surgery is associated with a four fold increase in post-surgery death and major complications - and that the blood sugar disturbances occur in patients with and without diabetes. Bypass not to blame for heart patients' mental decline Heart patients often experience lasting problems with memory, language, and other cognitive skills after bypass surgery. However, these problems aren't caused by the surgery itself or the pump used to replace heart function during surgery, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. More Heart Patients Current Events and Heart Patients News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||