| Abstract [eng] |
Keywords: coronary heart disease, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, quality of life. Purpose of the research: to appraise the influence of heart failure on the quality of life of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Objectives of the research: to determine how separate symptoms of heart failure (weakness or dyspnea, anxiety or depression), the frequency of repetition and the severity of symptoms affect the quality of life of patients differing from the point of view of the functional class of heart failure. To compare the ability to cope with everyday living tasks by patients differing in terms of the functional class of heart failure. To determine how the severity of heart failure influences the quality of life in patients with acute coronary syndrome. To check patients' knowledge about the relevant illness. To offer practical recommendations for the efficient application of life quality survey questionnaires in everyday practice of each patient with of heart failure for the purpose of improving the quality of life of patients. Population under the research: 109 patiens with acute coronary sindrome and heart failure receiving medical treatment at Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Clinics. Methods of the research. Research consisted of a questionnaire-based survey carried out on the grounds of Minnesota Living With Heart failure and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy questionnaires as well as of the analysis of medical records and test results. Statistical anglysis was made basing on Microsoft Office Excel 2003 an SPSS 16.0 (version for Windows) statistical program. Results of the research and conclusions. New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional capacity class appraised the severity of heart failure. It was found that NYHA functional class III and IV patients, compared to the ones classified as I and II NYHA functional class patients, exhidited a higher severity and a higher rate of frequency of symptoms. The symptoms of anxiety and depression were exhibited in all NYHA functional classes. With the increase in NYHA functional class the level of anxiety-depression went up, and the quality of life deteriorated. It was also found that NYHA functional class III and IV patients encountered the greatest difficulties in coping with factors producing the maximum effect on everyday activities (active recreation, limitation of favourable activities, sexual activity, household and gardening works, climbing up and down the stairs, restrictions in eating favourable dishes, hospitalisation, and medical treatment costs). However everyday activities of NYHA functional class I patients was not too much restricted. Patients with anxiety and depression symptoms, regardless of their functional class, experienced more severe restriction in everyday activities, compared to the ones who did not demonstrate such symptoms, and this particular circumstance impaired the quality of patient's life. It was found that the severity of heart failure influenced the quality of life of patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome. The quality of life of individuals classified as NYHA functional class III-IV patients was the lowest, in comparison with patients belonging to NYHA functional class I or II. Patient's knowledge about their illness, relevant symptoms, and factors contributing to the condition's developing into a more acute from were insufficient. |
