IMPACT OF PHYSICAL CAPACITY, DYSPNEA, FATIGUE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTICED BY HEART TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

• Grant number: 23/11598-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Rafaela Batista dos Santos Pedrosa
• Grantee: Pedro Molinari Genari
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Enfermagem. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: After performing heart transplantation (HT), patients experience a reduction in physical capacity due to changes in cardiac, vascular and skeletal muscle aspects. These alterations result in a worsening of the quality of life and a decrease in the ability to perform daily physical activities. Given the high risk of developing complications, cardiovascular rehabilitation (CVR) is recommended as part of non-pharmacological treatment, improving exercise capacity, endothelial dysfunction and skeletal muscle function, in addition to reducing the impact of adverse effects. of immunosuppressant therapy and cardiovascular risk factors. Objective: To verify the impact of physical capacity, dyspnea, fatigue and psychosocial variables on the behavior of physical activity practiced by heart transplant patients. Method: Quantitative analytical and cross-sectional research. Data from this study will be collected using five instruments (Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire, Modified Dyspnea Index, Fatigue Pictogram, Leisure Physical Activity and Measure of psychosocial variables). A descriptive analysis and comparison and correlation tests will be performed. It will be adopted as significance level p<0.05. Implications for practice: It is expected that this study will contribute to the evaluation and characterization of the impact of physical capacity, dyspnea, fatigue and psychosocial variables on the physical activity of heart transplant patients, so that nursing interventions can be developed that enable the implementation of strategies of effective CVR in the postoperative period of HT.