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Cardiac catheterization: the patients' perspective
A Beckerman1, D Grossman, L Marquez
1College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton 33431, USA.
Objective:
To identify the patients' experience of cardiac catheterization.
Design:
Descriptive, qualitative, phenomenologic.
Setting:
Large southeastern teaching hospital with an active cardiac catheterization laboratory and research center.
Patients:
Ten men, between 44 and 73 years of age, who had undergone their first cardiac catheterization.
Results:
The participants described feelings of loss of control of physical and personal self; an increased fear of the unknown during the test and especially of outcomes that might affect their future; a focus on time and its relationship to complication; a need not to be alone and not to be isolated after the test; and an awareness of spiritual belief in the good of others, trusting in their competencies.
Conclusions:
This study suggests the need for more attention to the psychologic aspects of the test, especially to the outcomes, negative as well as positive, and how they may affect the patient.