Assessment of knowledge on postoperative self-care among patients with coronary artery bypass grafts

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are a serious health problem among the Polish population, with the highest mortality in Europe. Despite the development of interventional cardiology, ischaemic heart disease is still treated with cardiac surgery.

The aim of the study was to analyse the level of knowledge on postoperative self-care among patients with coronary artery bypass grafts.

Material and methods: The study involved 100 randomly selected patients of the Department of Cardiac Surgery in the Provincial Specialist Hospital in Radom who had coronary artery bypass grafting due to ischaemic heart disease. Men accounted for 80% of the study participants. The mean age of the study population was 61 years (min. 45, max. 72, SD = 3.201). 40% of the study participants were professionally active. A voluntary questionnaire study was conducted between January and April 2012. An anonymous questionnaire was developed by the authors and comprised 31 questions.

Results: The level of knowledge among the study population on self-care after the coronary artery bypass grafting was unsatisfactory. As little as 40% of the study population had participated in a training programme on self-care after the coronary artery bypass grafting. The health education programme was carried out by nurses (50%) at the Department of Cardiac Surgery prior to the surgery (66% of the study participants). 80% of the study group reported that they received comprehensive answers to their questions.

Conclusions:

1. The level of knowledge among the study group on self-care after the coronary artery bypass grafting was unsatisfactory.

2. There is a huge need for health education on postoperative self-care among the study group of patients with the coronary artery bypass grafting.

3. The health education on self-care after the coronary artery bypass grafting should be conducted by nurses.

4. The study should be continued on a larger group of patients from a larger number of centres.