The Journal of cardiovascular nursing
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Aortic stenosis is a common valvular pathological finding in older adults. Currently, aortic valve replacement is the gold-standard treatment for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. However, patients with advanced age and multiple comorbidities carry a significant operative risk. ⋯ This article provides an overview of TAVI outcomes including insertion options, procedural outcomes, morbidity, valve durability, short- to medium-term survival, and quality of life to guide nursing care interventions. Enhancing nurses' knowledge of the risks, benefits, and potential complications of TAVI will empower nurses in their role as patient advocates and educators and improve patient outcomes. Gaps in the current TAVI research literature are identified.
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The objective of the study was to explore the impact of telehealth interventions on individuals' self-care of heart failure (HF). ⋯ Although this review included several studies with flawed design issues, the available evidence supports the use of telehealth in enabling self-care of HF. Further exploration is needed to determine the effect of telehealth on HF self-care outcomes using studies with high-quality design and improved data collection procedures.
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This article analyzes the literature describing factors affecting nurses' triage of emergency department (ED) patients with potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS), with particular attention paid to gender-based differences. ⋯ : Early reperfusion therapy is critical for optimal health outcomes in ACS. Triage nurses are ideally placed to minimize time to treatment for ACS. An understanding of the issues related to clinical decision making and triage allocation of women with ACS at triage is necessary to ensure appropriate treatment.
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Review
Psychological distress in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation: the state of the science.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a life-complicating illness adversely affecting morbidity, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and healthcare use. Studies using HRQOL instruments suggest that patients diagnosed with AF experience more psychological distress than do healthy controls. Psychological distress in forms of anxiety and depression in patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease is related to increased mortality, morbidity, and consumption of healthcare. ⋯ Lack of conceptual clarity and diversity of study purposes, designs, participants, and instruments limit the ability to draw coherent conclusions from findings. Nevertheless, findings suggest that psychological distress is present in a substantial portion of patients diagnosed with AF and its presence is related to adverse outcomes. Further study to identify the prevalence, characteristics, and consequences of psychological distress in patients diagnosed with AF is required to extend our knowledge and provide a foundation for development of interventions to address psychological distress in this rapidly increasing population.
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Review Comparative Study
Measuring self-care in chronic heart failure: a review of the psychometric properties of clinical instruments.
Improved self-care skills and behaviors are an important outcome of patient education and counseling. Both researchers and health professionals need to utilize instruments that are reliable and valid at measuring this outcome to advance our understanding as to the efficacy of clinical practice directed toward improving self-care. ⋯ Only 2 reliable and valid tools have been developed to specifically measure CHF self-care. Further use of these instruments in the research arena may reduce gaps in our understanding of CHF self-care and further shape clinical practice directed at improving it.