Symptom Experiences and Coping Strategies in Turkish Patients with Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators - A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Interviews

Q: What was the purpose of the study on ICD patients?

To examine retrospective pre-implantation symptoms, post-implantation symptom experiences, and the non-pharmacological coping strategies patients used.

Q: Which symptoms improved after ICD implantation?

Patients reported decreased chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, and shortness of breath after implantation.

Q: What coping methods were most frequently used, and what factors were linked to coping preference?

Praying was the most frequently reported coping method, followed by drinking herbal tea and walking. Marital status was associated with coping method preference.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) lower the risk of sudden cardiac death, yet patients often report both physical and psychological symptoms around implantation. This cross-sectional interview-based study examined Turkish ICD patients’ retrospective pre-implantation symptoms, concurrent post-implantation symptom experiences, and the non-pharmacological coping methods used. Compared with baseline, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, and shortness of breath decreased, while fatigue and anxiety increased; insomnia and fear showed no significant change. Praying was the most common coping approach, with marital status linked to coping preference, supporting holistic post-ICD care including psychological and spiritual needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background/Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Article Symptom Experiences and Coping Strategies in Turkish Patients with Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Interviews Sebiha Akta¸s Us 1,* and Sultan Ta¸scı 2 Academic Editor: Raffaele Giordano Received: 15 November 2025 Revised: 8 December 2025 Accepted: 19 December 2025 Published: 26 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Public Hospital Services Unit, Sinop Provincial Health Directorate, Turkish Ministry of Health, 57000 Sinop, Türkiye 2 Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erciyes University, 38260 Kayseri, Türkiye; [sultant@erciyes.edu.tr](sultant@erciyes.edu.tr) * Correspondence: [sebihaktas46@gmail.com](sebihaktas46@gmail.com) Abstract Background/Objectives: Although implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) playa critical role in reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, patients may report various physical and psychological symptoms during the implantation process. This study aimed to examine ICD patients’ retrospective reports of pre-implantation symptoms, their concurrent assessment of post-implantation symptom experiences, and the non-pharmacological methods they used to cope with these symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with ICD patients who visited the arrhythmia clinic between May and August 2022. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researchers and medical records. The study analyzed changes in symptoms reported by patients, individual coping methods used, the perceived effectiveness of these methods, and comparisons of methods used according to descriptive and clinical characteristics. Results: Patients reported a decrease in chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, and shortness of breath after ICD implantation (p < 0.001) . However, they reported an increase in fatigue and anxiety levels (p < 0.001); no significant change was reported for insomnia (p = 0.473) and fear (p = 0.082) . Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between patients who received shock therapy and those who did not in terms of changes in anxiety and fatigue levels, and the increase in anxiety was similar in both groups. The most frequently reported coping method among patients was praying, followed by drinking herbal tea and walking. A significant relationship was found between marital status and coping method preference, while no relationship was found with other descriptive and clinical characteristics. Conclusions: Although ICD implantation reduces cardiac symptoms, anxiety and fatigue continue to increase. Patients’ tendency to turn to cultural and spiritual coping methods such as prayer indicates that post-ICD care should be conducted with a holistic approach that also covers psychological and spiritual needs. Keywords: implantable cardioverter defibrillator; symptom experience; spiritual coping; cultural context; Turkish patients 1. Introduction Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is death occurring within one hour of the onset of symptoms related to heart disease. It continues to be a serious public health problem on a global and national scale. Despite advances, SCD accounts for approximately half of all premature deaths related to heart disease [1] . In the US, it affects more than 600,000 people annually, with most cases occurring outside of hospitals [2,3] . The exact incidence rate in Türkiye is unknown [4,5] . The most common cause of SCD is life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia. These arrhythmias can progress to ventricular fibrillation (VF), a fatal rhythm requiring urgent intervention. The most common method for preventing fatal arrhythmias is the use of ICDs for primary or secondary prevention in at-risk patients [6,7] . ICDs detect life-thre

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study on ICD patients?

To examine retrospective pre-implantation symptoms, post-implantation symptom experiences, and the non-pharmacological coping strategies patients used.

Which symptoms improved after ICD implantation?

Patients reported decreased chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, and shortness of breath after implantation.

What coping methods were most frequently used, and what factors were linked to coping preference?

Praying was the most frequently reported coping method, followed by drinking herbal tea and walking. Marital status was associated with coping method preference.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks