Linhares Joelza Chisté, Aliti Graziella Badin, Castro Raquel Azevedo, Rabelo Eneida Rejane
Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brazil.
Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2010 Nov-Dec;18(6):1145-51. doi: 10.1590/s0104-11692010000600015.
This cross-sectional study aimed to describe the prescription of non-pharmacological management of patients with heart failure attending the emergency care of a hospital and the effectiveness of the practice. 256 patients aged 63 ± 13 years, 153 (60%) men, participated in the research. The most commonly prescribed non-pharmacological treatment was sodium restriction, 240 (95%), followed by weight control, 135 (53%). Fluid restriction and fluid balance were the least commonly prescribed treatments, 95 (37%) and 72 (28%), respectively. Only 38 (54%) of balances, 89 (67%) of weight controls and 69 (57%) of diuresis controls were performed. Concerning patients' previous knowledge of the treatments, 229 (90%) were advised to restrict salt intake, and 163 (64%) were advised to restrict fluid intake. Weight control was the least commonly known care, 117 (46%). Except for salt control, the other treatments were prescribed in slightly more than half of the samples, and were ineffective.
