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Introduzione: I difetti cardiaci sono molto comuni nell’età pediatrica; spesso i genitori scoprono, dopo la nascita, queste patologie ed apprendono che l’intervento di cardiochirurgia è l’unica soluzione. Il ricovero del proprio bambino in una Terapia Intensiva comporta elevati livelli di stress, ansia, depressione. Gli infermieri assumono un ruolo attivo nell’assistenza del piccolo degente ma anche nella presa in carico dell’intero nucleo familiare. Obiettivo: scopo dello studio è stato descrivere l’esperienza dei genitori dei bambini ricoverati in una unità di Terapia Intensiva cardiochirurgica. Metodo: disegno ermeneutico fenomenologico secondo Cohen. Risultati: dall’analisi di 16 interviste sono emersi 3 temi principali: la paura per la possibile perdita del proprio bambino; la sensazione di aver perso il ruolo di genitore e la bisogno di ricevere maggiori informazioni per poter essere parte attiva nel processo di cure. Conclusioni: Il ricovero di un bambino in una Terapia Intensiva e, nello specifico, di cardiochirurgia, impone al personale assistenziale la presa in carico dell’intero nucleo familiare. Gli Infermieri sono i primi professionisti dai quali i genitori si attendono tale coinvolgimento. Questo studio offre uno sguardo sull’esperienza vissuta dai genitori che hanno il proprio figlio ricoverato in una Terapia Intensiva di cardiochirurgia; inoltre può rappresentare lo spunto per ulteriori ricerche finalizzate alla olistica armonizzazione tra la diade (famiglia e bambino) spesso ingiustamente scisse durante il ricovero in Terapia Intensiva.

BACKGROUND: Advances in medicine have caused a notable increase in the survival rates of children born with congenital heart disease, even in the most complicated cases, almost mitigating the disease's pathology from lethal to chronic. The quality of life perceived by such children is influenced by the perceptions of their parents. However, the international literature has rarely considered the entire family nucleus. AIMS: This study aims to study the temporal trend of quality of life of families with children with congenital heart disease, particularly with respect to parents following a child's hospitalization for an invasive procedure. DESIGN: A longitudinal study. METHOD: A sample of families (that is, those including a child with congenital heart disease and their parents) will be enrolled following the patient's discharge from the hospital and examined every 3 months for 1 year. The study's adopted hypothesis is that there is an interdependence between the subjects of the study that is capable of influencing individual perceptions of quality of life. RESULTS: This study will attempt to identify variables (and their temporal trend) that can be attributed to the family unit and—together with physical and clinical variables—that may influence the quality of life of children with congenital heart disease. CONCLUSION: Examining family quality of life with the longitudinal method will allow us to identify the predictors and interdependence of this factor with respect to children and their parents. This will help to correct and elaborate upon care guidelines, providing better assistance to patients and their caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background: Congenital heart disease is a common birth defect rather than a paediatric disease. Parents often discover this disease after their children's birth and then often learn that cardiac surgery is the only solution. A child's admission to a paediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) may lead to high levels of stress, anxiety and depression in parents. Objectives: To describe the lived experiences of mothers and fathers during their children's confinement in a PCICU. Methods: A phenomenological study was conducted. This method combines descriptive features (Husserlian) and interpretive phenomenology (Gadamerian). The subjects were interviewed with open questions to allow them full freedom of expression and were asked to describe their experiences when their children were admitted to the PCICU. Each interview was audio-recorded and lasted between 20 and 60 minutes. The researchers involved in the analysis each independently immersed themselves in the data by reading and re-reading the transcripts in order to gain a sense of the whole dataset. The extrapolation of the themes followed. The individual researchers compared the various extrapolated themes. Results: We enrolled 16 participants. Three main themes emerged: 1) the fear of the potential loss of their children, (2) the feeling of having lost their roles as parents and (3) the desire to receive more information and be an active part of the treatment process. Conclusion: A child's admission to a PCICU requires healthcare staff to take care of the child's family members as well. Knowing about mothers' and fathers' experiences is crucial in implementing a holistic and multidisciplinary process of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To observe the clinical and structural factors that can be associated with the post‐operative onset of delirium in patients who have undergone heart surgery. Background: Several risk factors could contribute to the development of delirium, such as the use of some sedative drugs and a patient's history with certain types of acute chronic disease. However, in the literature, there is little knowledge about the association between delirium in patients who have undergone cardiac surgical intervention and their clinical and environmental predictors. Design: We used an observational design. Methods: We enrolled 89 hospitalised patients in the ICU. Patients were first evaluated using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale and subsequently using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. A linear model of regression was used to identify the predictors of delirium in patients. Results: The patients had an average age of 89 years (SD = 6.9), were predominantly male (84.3%) and were mostly married (79.8%). The majority of patients had been subjected to bypass (80.9%), while 19.1% had undergone the intervention of endoprosthesis. The logistic regression model showed that patient age, the duration of mechanically assisted ventilation, continuous exposure to artificial light and the presence of sleep disorders were predictors of the onset of delirium. Conclusion: This study further confirms that clinical aspects such as insomnia and one's circadian rhythm as well as structural elements such as exposure to artificial light are variables that should be monitored in order to prevent and treat the onset of severe post‐operative delirium. Relevance to clinical practice: Identifying the possible factors that predispose a patient to the onset of delirium during intensive therapy following cardiac surgery, it is fundamental to implement interventions to prevent this syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The present study evaluated the efficacy of a nursing educational intervention in alleviating the level of parental anxiety in the parents of children who required heart surgery for the first time. Design and Methods A comparative study was used to explore the parents of children who had to undergo cardiac surgery. Parents of children were randomized into 2 groups: 1) control group and 2) experimental group or parents that received the educational intervention about PICU stay. Result The results of STAY-1 showed that the average anxiety score of group 1 was lower than that of group 2 (63.0 [SD = 3.5] vs. 70.4 [SD = 2.8]). Conclusion In order to decrease levels of parental anxiety and stress prior to paediatric surgery, parents should be adequately informed about planned therapeutic procedures. Practice Implications We speculate that pre-surgery parent education on what to expect before, during and after their child's cardiac surgery may improve parents' knowledge and satisfaction and decrease anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]