“Manifestations of the Heart”: Meanings Attributed to the Disease by Pre-surgical Cardiac Patients

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore the meanings attributed to the cardiac disease by pre-surgical outpatients in the South of Brazil. It is a clinical and qualitative study, characterized as exploratory and descriptive. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and auto-photography, proposed to 15 individuals. The use of thematic analysis resulted in the following categories which emerged: Confrontation with the disease: questioning existing knowledge, denial of the disease, disease and work, and ruptured sexuality. Results highlighted difficulties of the participants in regards to the appropriation of the disease condition as well as its acceptance. This result points out the need for health care actions that may help cardiac pre-surgical patients to restructure their possibilities of life.

摘要 本研究旨在探究巴西南部术前门诊患者对心脏疾病所赋予的意义。本研究为临床质性研究，兼具探索性与描述性特征。研究通过半结构化访谈与自主摄影法收集数据，共纳入15名研究对象。经主题分析，得到如下涌现的类别：直面疾病——对既有认知的质疑、疾病否认、疾病与工作、性关系破裂。研究结果凸显了受试者在接纳自身患病状态及接纳疾病过程中面临的诸多困境。该研究结果提示，需开展针对性医疗照护干预，以助力心脏术前患者重构其生活可能性。