The Journal of cardiovascular nursing
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Acute postoperative pain (APOP) may cause complications and delay healing. Analgesics alone cannot completely relieve APOP. Preoperative anxiety, optimism, and pain catastrophizing are predictors of APOP. No study author has examined the mediating effect of pain catastrophizing on APOP in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. ⋯ Pain catastrophizing should be assessed before surgery. Reducing pain catastrophizing would decrease APOP and improve the quality of pain management.
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The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is a widely used tool to triage patients in emergency departments. The ESI tool is used to assess all complaints and has significant limitation for accurately triaging patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ⋯ The ESI score is poorly associated with serious outcomes in patients with suspected ACS. Supplementing the ESI tool with input from other validated clinical tools can greatly improve the accuracy of triage in patients with suspected ACS.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Patients' Intensive Telephone-Based Care Program Reduces Depression in Coronary Artery Disease Patients and May Contribute to Favorable Overall Survival by Decreasing Depression.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of patients' intensive telephone-based care program (PITC) on depression and its correlation with overall survival in patients with coronary artery disease who have depression. ⋯ A PITC could serve as an effective means to decrease depression, and it might contribute to favorable overall survival by decreasing depression in patients with coronary artery disease.
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Clinicians face considerable challenges in identifying patients with advanced heart failure who experience significant symptom burden at the end of life. Often, these patients are cared for in the community by a loved one who has limited access to support from specialist services, including palliative care. ⋯ Caregivers in advanced heart failure need clearer communication regarding diagnosis and prognosis of their loved one's condition to help with the uncertainty of their situation. Improved identification of palliative care needs and more coordinated service provision are urgently required to address their physical and emotional challenges from diagnosis through bereavement.