Perceived Quality of Life in Patients with Permanent Pacemakers in a Family Medicine Unit in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To identify sociodemographic characteristics and quality of life perceived by patients with permanent pacemakers. Methods: Descriptive, prospective and cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 66 patients over 18 years of age with permanent pacemaker from the Family Medicine Unit No. 66 of Xalapa, Veracruz. Mexico. After informed consent, the sociodemographic questionnaire and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for quality of life were applied (Cronbach Alpha = 0.895). Measures of central tendency, dispersion, absolute and relative frequencies were calculated; the χ² test (0.05) was used to analyze the association. Results: 66 patients were interviewed, 37 men and 29 women, average age 73 years, married (38%), primary schooling (62%), complete extended single-parent family (24%), integrated nucleus (46%), urban ( 83%), traditional (73%), employed (33%), low family poverty (69%), perceived themselves to be sick (95%), secondary to symptomatic bradycardia (39%), placement of 5 to 6 years (24% ), average quality of life (48.5%), little satisfied (39.4%), low quality of life in the physical aspect (48%), psychological (30%), in social relationships (21%) and environment (35%). Conclusions: The perceived quality of life was low in the a) physical aspect, due to sleep and pain problems; b) psychological, due to the way in which one accepts one’s appearance; c) from the environment, they perceive themselves as insecure when living their lives.