An evaluation of patients' anxiety in coronary angiographic interventional procedures.

Abstract

A modem life-style has brought about conditions like atherosclerosis that are becoming major sources of threat for the human health. On the other hand, technology has enhanced interventional radiological procedures that are essential for dealing with coronary artery disease. However, such procedures are often associated with significant psychological problems such as anxiety, fear and uncertainty due to a variety of reasons. Several studies document different levels and causes of anxiety in cardiac patients awaiting a diagnosis or revascularisation and this motivated the researcher to investigate the local situation. A non-experimental, descriptive correlational study involving patients undergoing coronary angiographic interventional procedures at the Cardiac Catheterisation Lab of St. Luke's Hospital was carried out. The research tools utilised consisted of the pre-published and extensively used State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Visual Analogue Scale (V AS) and also the researcher developed Cath Lab Anxiety Questionnaires (CLAQ). The results showed that before the intervention, the majority of patients had a moderate amount of anxiety according to the VAS and CLAQ-B, and low anxiety according to the STAI; the main cause of this anxiety being the results of the procedure. After the procedure all three tools showed that the majority of patients had low anxiety and they were mainly concerned about having chest pain and a heart attack. Patients reported that they were satisfied with the service they received because they felt involved also thanks to the staffs professionalism. Nonetheless, the lack of privacy and long waiting times before the intervention were a source of frustration and regarded as areas for improvement. Finally, no statistical significance was found between anxiety and demographic data relating to patients' age, gender and occupation although some trends were identified. However, the difference in anxiety levels between day case patients and in-patients was found to be significant. Based on this study, the researcher put forward a number of recommendations such as more reassurance provided by the health care professional that would improve the standards of care and the quality of the service provided.