Fear of Patient related to Coronary Arteriography

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Coronary Arteriography (CA) is a common invasive diagnostic procedure, that can be a stressful and fear-provoking experience for many patients even though it is a safe procedure and very useful in diagnosing coronary heart diseases. Measuring patient’s fears related to CA can help the nurses in alleviating their patient’s fears. Material & Methods: This descriptive study was concerned to measure patients fears related CA. The target population of this study consisted of patients scheduled for CA at Shahid Madani Hospital affiliated to Tabriz Medical Sciences University. A convenience sample of 200 consecutive patients was selected. The data were collected using structured questionnaire before and after CA. The questionnaire consisted of demographic data and the Coronary Arteriography Fear Scale (CAFS) that has 26 items. Results: The results showed that before CA patients reported the most intense fear towards the possibility of needing coronary artery bypass surgery followed by alteration in lifestyle, being away from relatives and work. After CA the patient’s most intense fear focused on coronary artery bypass surgery, followed by fear of result, loss of income, being immobilized in bed and away from work. Conclusion: The conclusion to be drown from this study is that patients have different fears before and after CA. Fear is fundamentally an individual mater, but there are certain factors that cause fears in the majority of patients. The results support the call for more individualized assessment of patients’ needs and nursing care.