An evaluation of the daily life activity levels and life qualities of the patients with ventricular assist device

This cross-sectional descriptive research study aims to evaluate the daily life activity levels and life qualities of the patients with Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). The research conducted among 31 adult and child patients with VAD between the years of 2012 and 2015 within 3 centers. The data of the research is collected by the researcher through face to face interviews with the patients in services, intensive care units and polyclinics within Başkent University Ankara Hospital, Ankara University Cebeci Research and Application Hospital and Turkey High Specialty Training and Research Hospital between the dates of May 2015 and November 2015. As the data collecting method, it is used that Patient Identification Form which contains the information about the patient and the disease that is created as a result of a literature survey; SF 36 Life Quality Scale; KATZ Daily Life Activities Scale; and EQ-5D General Life Quality Scale. The data obtained within this study is evaluated by using Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis-H Tests; Chi-Squared Analysis; Fisher's Exact Test; and Pearson Chi-Squared Analysis in SPSS 20 packaged software. During interpreting the result, p<0.05 value is accepted as meaningful statistically. 77.4% (n=24) of the patients who participated to the study were male and 35.5% (n=11) of the patients were on the age between 51 and 60 as well as it is found that 58.1% (n=18) of the patients were married. It is specified that 80.6% of discharged patients readmitted to the hospital; and 35.5% (n=11) of the patients readmitted because of infection, 25.8% (n=8) of the patients readmitted because of thrombus, and 32.3% (n=10) of the patients readmitted because of other reasons (such as bleeding, gynecological diseases, routine control, etc.). It is observed that 70.9% (n=22) of the patients were feeling better after linking with the device. While it is observed that the life qualities if the patients are medium-level according to SF 36 Life Quality Scale and EQ-5D General Life Quality Scale; it is specified that 3.2% (n=1) of the patients were continuing their daily life activities as dependent; 25.8% (n=8) of the patients were continuing their daily life activities as semi-dependent; and 71.0% (n=22) of the patients were continuing their daily life activities as independent according to KATZ Daily Life Activities Scale. As a result, it is confirmed that the patients become more independent; that their health become better; and that their life quality is improved so far as before VAD. In this context, it is thought that VAD usage for long-term or final period treatments can have positive effects of life quality. Keywords: Cardiac Insufficiency, Life Quality, Nursing, VAD