scholarly journals Fear of graft rejection after heart transplantation – a nationwide cross-sectional cohort study

2020 ◽  
pp. 147451512093783
Author(s):  
Anna Forsberg ◽  
Annika M Kisch ◽  
Annika Paulsson ◽  
Cecilia Ragntoft ◽  
Marita Dalvindt ◽  
...  

Background: Cellular rejection is most common 3–6 months after heart transplantation while chronic rejection, that is, cardiac allograft vasculopathy and malignancy are the most common causes of death in heart-transplant recipients beyond the third year after transplantation. However, the heart transplantation recipient’s perceived threat of graft rejection has never been explored. Aim: The aim was to explore perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection and its relationship to psychological wellbeing, fatigue, health literacy, adherence and self-efficacy 1–5 years after heart transplantation. Methods: In a nationwide, cross-sectional study that constituted part of the Self-management after thoracic transplantation project, 79 heart recipients (68% men and 32% women with a mean age of 52.6 years) were investigated after one year ( n=28), two years ( n=17), three years ( n=11), four years ( n=17) and five years ( n=6). The instruments used were: the Perceived Threat of the Risk of Graft Rejection, the Psychological General Well-being, Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, the Newest Vital Sign and the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Scale. Results: Twenty-eight per cent of the heart transplantation recipients perceived graft rejection as a serious threat. Intrusive anxiety was low and 37% perceived the threat of the risk of graft rejection as being beyond their control. Heart transplant recipients with high level of fatigue and low psychological well-being reported stronger intrusive anxiety and less control. Conclusion: A perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection is present in the everyday lives of heart transplantation recipients and is strongly related to overall psychological well-being.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bandar Al-Ghamdi

Background: Fasting during Ramadan is considered one of the most sacred Islamic rituals. To our knowledge, there is no data about Ramadan fasting in heart transplant recipients. Objectives: To assess the ability of heart transplant recipients to fast the month of Ramadan and to study the fasting effects on their clinical condition Design: A cross-sectional study of heart transplant recipients attending the heart transplant clinic in the three months following Ramadan in 1439 and 1440 Hijri (May-June 2018 and 2019). Setting: Heart transplant clinic in a tertiary care hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Heart transplant recipients attending the heart transplant clinic in the Heart Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH&RC), Riyadh. Data about Ramadan fasting was documented using standard case report form (CRF), and data were collected from the medical records about their clinical and laboratory findings before and after Ramadan. Main Outcome Measures: Ability of heart transplant receipts to fast during Ramadan and the effect of fasting on their medical condition. Sample Size: One hundred twenty heart transplant recipients were approached to participate in this study. Ninety-two patients agreed to participate in the study with seventy-eight patients fasted during Ramadan. Results: Seventy-eight patients were able to fast Ramadan (84.8%). In comparison to the months before and after Ramadan, 44 of the fasting patients (56.4%) reported no change in their overall health, 29 patients (37.2%) reported feeling better, and 5 patients (6.4%) reported feeling worse during fasting. Sixty patients (76.9%) reported no significant new symptoms, and 18 patients (23.08%) reported one or more new symptoms. Conclusions: It seems that the majority of heart transplant recipients beyond one year of transplantation can fast Ramadan without having significant medical issues Limitations: The small number of participants and the limitations of cross-sectional design.


1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 2270-2276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Geny ◽  
Anne Charloux ◽  
Eliane Lampert ◽  
Jean Lonsdorfer ◽  
Pascal Haberey ◽  
...  

We investigated the atrial (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptides (BNP), catecholamines, heart rate, and blood pressure responses to graded upright maximal cycling exercise of eight matched healthy subjects and cardiac-denervated heart transplant recipients (HTR). Baseline heart rate and diastolic blood pressure, together with ANP (15.2 ± 3.7 vs. 4.4 ± 0.8 pmol/l; P < 0.01) and BNP (14.3 ± 2.6 vs. 7.4 ± 0.6 pmol/l; P< 0.01), were elevated in HTR, but catecholamine levels were similar in both groups. Peak exercise O2uptake and heart rate were lower in HTR. Exercise-induced maximal ANP increase was similar in both groups (167 ± 34 vs. 216 ± 47%). Enhanced BNP increase was significant only in HTR (37 ± 8 vs. 16 ± 8%; P < 0.05). Similar norepinephrine but lower peak epinephrine levels were observed in HTR. ANP and heart rate changes from rest to 75% peak exercise were negatively correlated ( r = −0.76, P < 0.05), and BNP increase was correlated with left ventricular mass index ( r = 0.83, P < 0.01) after heart transplantation. Although ANP increase was not exaggerated, these data support the idea that the chronotropic limitation secondary to sinus node denervation might stimulate ANP release during early exercise in HTR. Furthermore, the BNP response to maximal exercise, which is related to the left ventricular mass index of HTR, is enhanced after heart transplantation.


1995 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronna Casar Harris ◽  
Mary Amanda Dew ◽  
Ann Lee ◽  
Michael Amaya ◽  
Laurie Buches ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego García-Álvarez ◽  
Juan Hernández-Lalinde ◽  
Rubia Cobo-Rendón

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational centers and universities in Venezuela have closed their physical plants and are migrating to emergency remote education to continue with academic programs. This empirical study aimed to analyze the predictive capacity of academic self-efficacy and emotional intelligence skills on each of the dimensions of psychological well-being. We employed a cross-sectional predictive design. The sample comprised 277 university students, of which 252 were female (91.00%). Their ages ranged from 18 to 45 years, with a mean of 20.35 (SD = 2.29). Non-probabilistic chance sampling was used. For data collection, we used an anonymous online form, contacted students by mail, and invited them to participate in the study. Questionnaires were available between 217 and 227 days of decreed quarantine in Venezuela. The results indicated average levels of academic self-efficacy (Me = 4; IQR = 2), emotional intelligence: clarity (Me = 27; IQR = 10), attention (Me = 25; IQR = 10) y repair (Me = 25; IQR = 12), and psychological well-being (Me = 35; IQR = 5). We found differences according to sex and age, specifically in emotional regulation (z = 3.73, p &lt; 0.001, d = 0.438) and in bonds of psychological well-being (z = 2.51, p = 0.012, d = 0.276) favoring men (Me = 33, IQR = 9; Me = 8, IQR = 1), respectively. Regarding age, statistically significant differences were found in the group of students older than 21 years with higher perception of psychological well-being (z = 3.69, p &lt; 0.001, d = 0.43) and in each of its dimensions. Emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy were found to be significant predictors of psychological well-being and its dimensions, specifically on control (R2-Cox = 0.25, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.34, 69.90% of total correct classification), links (R2-Cox = 0.09, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.12, 65.07% of total correct classification), projects (R2-Cox = 0.32, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.46, 78.40% of total correct classification), acceptance (R2-Cox = 0.17, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.23, 68.28% of total correct classification), and total well-being (R2-Cox = 0.52, R2-Nagelkerke = 0.71, 87.16% of total correct classification). It was concluded that emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy are protective psychological resources of psychological well-being that should be promoted at university to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on the mental health of young people.


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