Intra-aortic balloon pumping and stress in the coronary care unit

This study compared the perceptions of psychological stress experienced by patients on the IABP with that of other patients in the CCU. During 13 weeks, structured interviews were conducted with 17 male and 10 female patients: Seven were treated with the IABP; 10 were not on the pump but were present during its use; and 10 were neither on the pump nor in physical proximity to it. To measure psychological stress, each patient responded to a list of 20 potentially stressful situations using a stress rating scale. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences in perceptions. The results identified factors in the CCU that patients perceived as stressful and were compared with those of earlier research. Data analysis demonstrated moderate support for the study's hypotheses. Stress levels of patients on the IABP were significantly higher than those of patients who were not on the IABP but present during its use. No significant differences were found between stress levels of patients on the IABP and patients with the IAPB absent or between those of the two groups who were not on the pump. Implications for nursing care of the patient on the IABP were also discussed.