Self – care behaviors of persons after heart transplantation

Abstract

            This descriptive research aimed to assess self-care behavior after heart transplant and compare such behaviors between 1-5 years survivors after surgery and those more than 5 years after surgery based on Orem's self-care concepts. The sample study was 35 heart transplant survivors who had routine post-transplant follow-up visits between October 2016 and February 2017 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society. Research instruments consisted of personal information questionnaire, health information questionnaire and self-care behavior after heart transplant. Data were analyzed by using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and median. In addition, self-care behavior scores were compared between 1-5 years survivors after surgery and those more than 5 years by using the Mann–Whitney U test.

            The research results showed that the sample’s group self-care behavior scores were at the “very good” level both overall and 7 dimensions including eating and drinking, medication use, infection prevention, daily activities, symptom observation, emotion management, and follow-up visits. Except the score of dimension of exercise behavior, which was at the “good” level. The self-care behaviors between 1-5 years group of survivors and more than 5 years survivors after surgery, were not different.

            This study demonstrated that post heart transplant survivors exhibited very good self-care behavior. Nurses should promote patients to maintain good self-care behavior to extend their lives.