Health Related Quality of Life for Patients After Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) occurs when the flow of blood to the heart becomes blocked and this occurs because of coronary artery disease. This can cause tissue damage and can even be life-threatening condition and affected on patient’s total quality of life and also is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Aim: Assessing health related quality of life for patients after myocardial infarction. Design: Descriptive exploratory design was used. Setting: This study was conducted at Outpatient Cardiac Clinic which affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. Sample: Purposive sample of 70 adult patients were included in the study. Tools: Two tools were used for data collection 1-Interview questionnaire: It's composed of five parts. Socio-demographic data, patient personal habits, medical history, patient’s current health complaints and patient knowledge about the diseases. 2- RAND 36-Item Health Survey Questionnaire Item to assess patients' health related quality of life after MI. Results: There was a statistically high significant difference between the patients' age and income and their overall quality of life domains. While there was a statistically significant difference between the patients' work and their overall quality of life domains. Also there was a statistically highly significant difference between patient’s current health complaints and quality of life. Conclusion: The present study revealed that the majority of the studied patients had a bad to moderate quality of life after MI suffering mostly of role limitations, caused by physical and emotional health problems. Recommendations: Healthcare providers should encourage patients to participate in rehabilitation programs post MI which has a planned programs regarding therapeutic regiment, follow up, and exercise and dietary information to prevent complications after MI. Keywords: myocardial infarction, health related quality of life