Improved quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation in post-myocardial infarction patients

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is evaluating the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on the improvement of quality of life in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac dysfunction is one of the most common causes of limitation in physical activity and activities of daily living. A quasi-experimental design study with a randomized, pretest-posttest control group. Sixty patients were selected and randomly assigned to either control (n=29) or experimental group (n=31). Baseline data were collected at three weeks post acute myocardial infarction prior to the delivery of the intervention, while and a post-test was administered eight weeks after rehabilitation. The data collected consisted of demographic data questionnaire and quality of life standard questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Descriptive and analytical statistics methods were used. The results show a significant differences in the average scores of the experimental and control groups (P=0.000, P=0.001, respectively). According to results, the average score of the eight week (Experimental: p=0/000 Mean=3.35 S.D=2.73 Control: P=0.001 Mean=2.27 S.D=2.20) was better than that of the third week for both groups. It is important for nurses to become familiar with various manifestations of coronary artery conditions and methods for assessing, preventing, and treating these disorders. We can conclude that cardiac rehabilitation programs should be comprehensive and involve physiological and psychological strategies rehearses much and recommended in most contemporary clinical practice guidelines. The finding from this study may be beneficial for clinical nurses to manage the needs of patients with MI. Rehabilitation centers for cardiac rehabilitation gives the post myocardial infarction patients the chance to use these programs and improve their quality of life and increase their independence and change their life- style.