MONDAY, July 10, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- American researchers say they've developed a new tool to measure anxiety levels in heart patients with implantable cardioverter devices (ICDs).
ICDs deliver an electric shock to correct potentially deadly abnormal heart rhythms. However, even the thought of receiving this kind of jolt can cause fear and worry in some patients.
According to a team from the University of Florida, Gainesville, their new Florida Shock Anxiety Scale helps doctors identify which ICD patients may need psychological services to cope with their anxiety. The scale is described in the current issue of the journal Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology.
"Patients with an ICD can have unique fears that separate them from people with other general anxieties," study lead author Emily Kuhl, a doctoral candidate in the department of clinical and health psychology, said in a prepared statement.
For example, some patients with ICDs may be afraid that certain activities, such as exercise or sex, may trigger the device. They may also be concerned that they or others may be harmed by the ICD's electric jolt or that the device's activation may cause a commotion in public.
The researchers tested the new anxiety scale on 72 ICD patients and concluded that the scale was highly reliable in identifying patient anxiety. The scale asks patients to rate their frequency of anxious thoughts, such as "I am afraid of being alone when the ICD fires and I will need help," or "I am afraid to touch others for fear that I will shock them if the ICD fires."
The researchers plan to test the anxiety scale in a larger group of patients and to compare it to other anxiety assessment methods.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about ICDs.
