IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATORS AND THEIR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES.
Contributors: Boston College.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 71
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery.
Description: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have been available to persons with lethal ventricular dysrhythmias for over 10 years. Prior to their invention, patients were treated with antidysrhythmic medication or surgical excision of the foci with a resultant 16% mortality. In the first year post-ICD implantation mortality rates decreased to 3%. The outcomes to living with an ICD beyond two years post-implantation have not been explored. The purpose of this study is to determine the predictors for physical and psychosocial functioning in persons with an ICD for two or more years, based on the Lazarus & Folkman theory of stress and coping. Seventy-five persons (63 males, Mean age $\pm$ SD = 64.5 $\pm$ 12.4 years) with an ICD approximately 2 or more years (Mean $\pm$ SD = 48.7 $\pm$ 21.9 months) completed the demographic questionnaire, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, the Duke Activity Status Index, select subscales of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, and the Ways of Coping Checklist - revised via telephone. Hierarchical multiple regression equations indicated that young men who use less emotion-focused coping are predicted to be more physically active (p $<$.01) and subjects who use more emotion-focused coping are predicted to be psychologically distressed and have poor social and domestic adaptation (p $<$.01). Implications for practice include the need to educate ICD recipients of the possible long-term physical and psychosocial outcomes to living with an ICD. Future research is needed to further validate these outcomes, as well as to explore the needs of younger subjects, women, and minorities.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-10, Section: B, page: 6175.

Thesis (PH.D.)--BOSTON COLLEGE, 1996.

School code: 0016.