Coronary artery disease (CAD) is known as the second killer in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority reported nearly 7000 patients suffered from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in year 2010 to 2011. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a minimal access surgical treatment for coronary artery disease but studies have shown that patients experienced different levels of anxiety before and during PTCA which led negative impact to the patients. Music can be regarded as a safe, cost-effective therapy to reduce one’s anxiety level. It can be carried out by nurses without any specific technique. However, there was no systemic review for using music therapy to patients undergoing PTCA. Therefore, this dissertation aims to evaluate the best available evidence on using music therapy for patients undergoing PTCA. Four electronic databases, Medline, CINAHL, Embase & PsycINFO, were searched for studies to investigate the efficacy of music therapy in patients undergoing PTCA. There were seven studies were eligible with data extracted and quality assessment performed by the critical appraisal skill programme (CASP) checklist. Four studies were graded as high quality, which consistently demonstrated a statistically significant more reduction in the anxiety level of patients who received music therapy either before and/or during PTCA than those who had no music therapy. Consequently, an evidence-based guideline of using music therapy for patients undergoing PTCA was developed according to the guideline development process of SIGN (2010). The use of music therapy is transferable and feasibly in the local setting with little manpower concern. The total cost estimated for running the innovation for a year was HKD 83,775 which was considered as cost-effective to reduce patients’ anxiety level and avoid associated adverse events. A 14-months programme including communication with the stakeholders, pilot testing, staff training and clinical application of the proposed music therapy was designed. Qualitative and quantitative data on patient, healthcare provider and system outcomes would be accounted throughout the programme. The effectiveness of the guideline would be determined by the reduction of patient’s anxiety level by using the Chinese version of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (Shek, 1993). Moreover, healthcare provider outcome would be evaluated by questionnaire and the expenditure of the proposed music therapy would be monitored closely. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Medicine / Master / Doctor of Medicine

published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD), which is a Chronic Disease of Lifestyle, has been rated as one of the key illnesses that have progressively materialised as a threat across the wide demographic spectrum of South Africa’s population. Internationally, literature is relatively scarce on the psychosocial consequences of the disease for the ill person, but limited information does exist on these consequences as they affect South African individuals and their families. This study sought firstly to understand the experience of persons with IHD, their partners and medical practitioners and secondly how they coped with the illness. Participants were selected with the assistance of cardiologists at a private hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Theoretical sampling determined the number of persons who participated in the study. Data was collected using in-depth interviews in accordance with the qualitative descriptive design and narrative inquiry that underpinned the research. Participants (13) were determined once data-saturation was reached. The data revealed that spousal support and religion/spirituality played important roles in helping people manage the illness. Genetics and lifestyle choices contributed to participants’ IHD. Not recognising their symptoms, owing to misinformation by the medical fraternity, contributed to participants not realising they were having a heart attack. Religious/spiritual coping mechanisms were among those mentioned by participants, and depression (not clinically assessed), anxiety and sadness were noted among the consequences for them. Two of the cardiologists did not acknowledge depression; nevertheless research studies have linked depression with major cardiac attacks and to surgery following cardiac problems. The data points to the lack of communication between participants and their health practitioners and the belief held by participants that the medical personnel were not particularly interested in their psychosocial wellbeing. This seems to be borne out by the limited data obtained from health practitioners. Social workers can play important roles in the health team by ensuring that the psychosocial needs of persons experiencing IHD and their families are attended to. Social workers can publish in health journals to make the medical fraternity aware of the contribution that social workers skills can make to persons who are ill. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Didelė dalis širdies susirgimų diagnostinių kriterijų gaunama registruojant ir analizuojant kardiosignalus, kurie atspindi tiek elektrinės širdies veiklos sutrikimus (EKG), tiek ir hemodinaminės bei mechaninės veiklos pokyčius, t.y. impedanskardiograma (IKG) ir seismokardiograma (SKG). Dar daugiau, efektyvus širdies susirgimų diagnostikos problemų sprendimas yra naujų kardiosignalų analizės technologijų kūrimas. Jau kelis dešimtmečius Furjė transformacija taikoma EKG dažnumų analizei, tuo tarpu kai IKG ir SKG dažnio charakteristikų vertinimui šis metodas nebuvo naudojamas. Darbo tikslas buvo pritaikyti Furjė analizę įvertinant bei palyginant tris sinchroniškai užregistruotus kardiosignalus, nes jie atspindi elektrinės širdies, hemodinaminės bei mechaninės širdies veiklos pokyčius geriau nei vienas EKG signalas. Kitas darbo tikslas buvo pritaikyti Furjė analizę įvertinant bei palyginant trijų sinchroniškai užregistruotų signalų - EKG, IKG ir SKG dažnio charakteristikas ir koherenciją bei klasifikuoti dvi grupes - "sveikas" ir "ligonis". Rezultatai rodo, kad koherencijos vertinimas ir spektrinė analizė gali būti naudinga gali būti naudingas širdies kraujagyslių bei plaučių sistemų ligų diagnostikai. / A big part of heart disease diagnostics criteria is collected by registration and analysis of cardio signals that reflect the disturbances of the electric heart activity – electrocardiogram (EСG), changes of hemodynamic - impedance cardiograms (IСG) and mechanic activity - seismocardiogram (SСG). ECG analysis is generally applying in clinic practice, but usually in visual way only. Due to the development of the technologies, the bigger amount of data could be stored and more exact analysis of information could be carried out. Therefore, a solution of problem of effective diagnostics of heart diseases is the creation of new technologies for analysis of cardio signals. Previously Fourier series were applied to frequency analysis of ECG, but this method was not applied for estimation of ICG and SCG frequency characteristics. In this thesis the frequency analysis method was applied to three cardio signals, because they reflect the electrical and mechanical work of the human heart better as entirely ECG signal. The main aim of this work was to adapt Fourier transformation to assessing and comparing some characteristics of hereinbefore signals, such as coherence and classify two searching groups - “healthy” and “sick”. Results showed that rating of coherence and spectral analysis could be useful for rightly analyzing and classifying the searching groups.

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