Abstract
This study compared the levels of anxiety presented by patients with acute myocardial infarction in bed and shower baths and the influence of antecedent variables: age, gender, medications, previous hospitalization and/or bed bath, patients' preference regarding the professional's gender, risk factors and anxiety-traits. This crossover study was conducted between February and August 2007 in coronary units. The sample was composed of 71 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied before the baths (bed and shower baths), immediately after the baths and twenty minutes after the second evaluation. Results revealed that patients were more anxious in the bed bath than in the shower in the three assessments (p <0.0001) and the only variable that interfered with state-anxiety was high blood pressure.
Highlights
Anxiety is one of the most immediate and intense psychological responses to acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
The population sample was composed of 71 patients with AMI, hospitalized in the Coronary Care Units (CCU), including patients of both genders, who signed consent forms
In relation to risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases, the most frequently found were: sendentariness (74.6%), hypertension (73.2%) and family history of cardiovascular disease (71.8%)
Summary
Anxiety is one of the most immediate and intense psychological responses to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Coronary patients might present 26% more anxiety than patients with psychiatric disorders[1]. The association of anxiety and AMI negatively affects the prognosis of these patients[1,2,3]. A high level of anxiety in the first 48 hours after hospitalization increases the chances of developing complications by 4.9 times during hospitalization in comparison to patients with a low level of anxiety[1]. Anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system increasing cardiac contractility, blood pressure, cardiac frequency and consumption of oxygen, worsening the development of the disease[4,5]. We frequently observe in clinical practice that anxiety becomes more intense depending on the procedure that the patient is undergoing, such as receiving a bed bath
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