Relationship Between Heart Rate Variability and Anxiety Among Patients Receiving Cardiac Catheterization

• Main Authors: Shan-Meei Tang, 唐善美
• Other Authors: Miaofen Yen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/86385380134863090589

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 護理學系碩博士班 === 92 === Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of autonomic nervous system and a predictor of prognosis or mortality among patients with cardiovascular disease. It can be used as an outcome indicator of nursing interventions. The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between HRV and anxiety among patients receiving cardiac catheterization. A correlation study was conducted in a cardiovascular unit at a medical center of southern Taiwan. Forty-two subjects were recruited by convenience after the written consent was given. Two valid and reliable instruments, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (SATI) and Heart Rhythm Scanner, were used 2-12 hours pre-cardiac catheterization. Data were analyzed through Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients and t-tests using SPSS/W 10.0. There were significantly positive correlation between low frequency of HRV and scores of trait anxiety pre-cardiac catheterization (r = -.30, p = .03). The results of t-tests indicated that low frequency (an indicator of sympathetic activity) and high frequency (an indicator of parasympathetic activity) of HRV in female were significantly higher than in male (t = -2.43 and -2.29, all p < .05). The scores of trait anxiety in women were significantly higher than in men (t = -2.44, p = .019), but the scores of state anxiety were not (t = -0.37, p = .713). It meant that patients receiving cardiac catheterization had significantly higher sympathetic activity and trait anxiety. Therefore, prompt interventions are crucial to reducing patients’ anxiety pre-cardiac catheterization and modulating their autonomic nervous system.