Effect of the rehabilitation program on the fatigue of patients with coronary artery diseases

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the changes in fatigue of patients with coronary artery diseases after the rehabilitation intervention based on demographic and clinical variables. Methods: This study was a single-arm clinical trial with a pre and post-intervention design. The statistical population of the study included patients with coronary artery diseases who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary interventions, 4-6 weeks after discharge, referred to Khorramabad Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. They were selected by a purposeful sampling method. The data were collected through demographic and clinical information questionnaires and Piper Fatigue Measurement Questionnaire. Education on risk factors at home (weeks 4 and 8) was presented in the area of rehabilitation, the data were analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS software. Results: Most of the patients were male (54.4%), married (87%), and in the age group of 47-58 years (50%). Their mean age was 54.63 ± 8.87 years, and the mean duration of heart disease in the subjects (by months) was 33.24 ± 50.84. Comparing the mean changes in fatigue after the intervention based on some influencing demographic variables of the patients, including age, gender, type of treatment, and the duration of the disease showed no significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusion: The implementation of a home cardiac rehabilitation program by nurses, as a low-cost, accessible, and feasible intervention, can be considered an effective step in reducing the fatigue of patients with coronary artery disease and should be considered by managers

IGF-I concentration and changes in critically ill patients

Background: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) is an anabolic growth factor that affects nitrogen balance and its changing trend is not clearly understood in critically ill patients. This study was carried out to evaluate the association between serum IGF-I levels and its changing trend in critically ill patients. Methods: In this nested case-control study, all consecutive patients admitted to the medical ICU of Rasoul-e-Akram and Firuzgar hospital (Tehran, Iran) from January through October 2008 were included. IGF1 concentration was meas-ured within the first 24h of ICU admission and the fourth, seventh and tenth day since admission. Patients were fol-lowed until discharge from ICU or expiration. Results: The study population consisted of 90 patients (mean age: 58.01 ± 22.56), 31 (34.4%) of who died and 59 (65.6%) were discharged. On admission, 43 patients (47.7%) had low IGF-I levels, whereas 47 (52.3%) had normal or high levels. The concentration of IGF-I was not significantly different in every 4 measurements between expired and discharged patients. Significant decrease was seen between first to fourth day IGF-I concentration (p = 0.005). Chang-ing trend was not statistically different in two groups of patients. Conclusions: There was no relation between low IGF-I concentration on admission day and increased adverse out-come, but overall these patients had lower IGF1. No clear association was found between changing trend of IGF1 and mortality. Stress on admission time may cause decreasing pattern of IGF-I in the first 4 days of admission