| Summary: | 碩士 === 長庚大學 === 護理學研究所 === 93 === The purpose of this study is to discuss the fatigue experienced by patients with heart failure. This study adopted descriptive and relational design, as well as purposeful sampling, and studied 107 patients with heart failure in a cardiology ward of a medical center in Northern Taiwan by structural interview. The data were collected on demography, physiological data (EF, Hb, SBp, DBp), physical performance states, intensity of pain, depression, and fatigue. Since fatigue is the most important outcome variable in this study, aside from Lee’s Fatigue Visual Analog Scale (VAS-F), this study adopted a newly developed fatigue scale —Tang Fatigue Rating Scale (TFRS), to gain a better understanding on the symptom. The data analysis showed that:
1.The fatigue experienced by heart failure patients is medium.
2.Female CHF patients have more fatigue than male CHF patients.
3.The fatigue experienced by heart failure patients taking β blocker is higher than others not taking β blocker.
4.NYHA and depression are positively correlated with fatigue.
5.EF, Hb, and physical performance states are negatively correlated with fatigue.
6.TFRS has good reliability and validity to measure fatigue.
Using TFRS as the dependent variable and depression, EF, and NYHA as the independent variables for multiple regression analysis, 73% of variance was explained by the independent variables. Depression, EF, and NYHA are significant predictors of fatigue.
This study showed that low EF, higher NYHA, and higher depression would intensify the fatigue experienced by patients with heart failure. The results could be provided as a guideline to medical staff when caring for patients with heart failure.
|
|---|
