Causes of Dyspnea after Cardiac Surgery

Which breathlessness dimensions associate most strongly with fatigue?-The population-based VASCOL study of elderly men

BACKGROUND

Breathlessness and fatigue are common symptoms in older people. We aimed to evaluate how different breathlessness dimensions (overall intensity, unpleasantness, sensory descriptors, emotional responses) were associated with fatigue in elderly men.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional analysis of the population-based VAScular disease and Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (VASCOL) study of 73-year old men. Breathlessness dimensions were assessed using the Dyspnoea-12 (D-12), Multidimensional Dyspnoea Profile (MDP), and the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale. Fatigue was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) questionnaire. Clinically relevant fatigue was defined as FACIT-F≤ 30 units. Scores were compared standardized as z-scores and analysed using linear regression, adjusted for body mass index, smoking, depression, cancer, sleep apnoea, prior cardiac surgery, respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

Of 677 participants, 11.7% had clinically relevant fatigue. Higher breathlessness scores were associated with having worse fatigue; for D-12 total, -0.35 ([95% CI] -0.41 to -0.30) and for MDP A1, -0.24 (-0.30 to -0.18). Associations were similar across all the evaluated breathlessness dimensions even when adjusting for the potential confounders.

CONCLUSION

Breathlessness assessed using D-12 and MDP was associated with worse fatigue in elderly men, similarly across different breathlessness dimensions.

The effects of Nurse Led Transitional Care Model on elderly patients undergoing open heart surgery: a randomized controlled trial

AIMS 

Rate and number of successful cases in open heart surgery has been increasing due to the advances in medical technology and surgery. To improve patient convalescence results and reduce rate of post-discharge readmission to hospital and unplanned post-discharge rehospitalization, home-care and follow-up process of patients should be managed successfully. To evaluate the effectiveness of Nurse Led Transitional Care Model on the functional autonomy, quality of life, readmission, and rehospitalization rates of elderly patients undergoing open heart surgery. A randomized controlled trial was conducted from November 2017 to December 2018 and performed according to the CONSORT Guidelines.

METHODS AND RESULTS 

Sixty-six elderly patients were randomly allocated to the intervention (n: 33) and control (n: 33) groups. Patients in intervention group were given care based on the Transitional Care Model until the post-discharge 9th week starting from date of hospitalization. Patients in control group were given standard care services. Functional autonomy, quality of life levels, and repeated admission/re-hospitalization rates to the clinic were evaluated. The Functional Autonomy Measurement System and SF-36 Quality of Life Scale scores of the intervention group were higher than that of the control group at the 9th week (P < 0.05). In addition, rate of readmission and rehospitalization during the follow-up period (6 months) of patients in the intervention group was found to be lower than the patients in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION 

Care services offered under the Transitional Care Model improved functional autonomy and quality of life and decreased post-discharge hospital readmission and rehospitalization rates of patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT04384289).