PERCEPTION, KNOWLEDGE AND THE AWARENESS AMONG SAUDI ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS ABOUT THEIR DISEASE AND ITS STROKE RISK

Mostafa Q. Alshamiri; Daneiah M. Arafah; Nouf A. Althabit; Alaa M. AlAhmari; Haneen F. Amlih; Bedoor H. Al Qadrah; Afnan A. Almughaiseeb; Fakhr Z Alayoubi

Volume : VII, Issue : VIII, August - 2017

PERCEPTION, KNOWLEDGE AND THE AWARENESS AMONG SAUDI ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS ABOUT THEIR DISEASE AND ITS STROKE RISK

Mostafa Q. Alshamiri, Daneiah M. Arafah, Nouf A. Althabit, Alaa M. Alahmari, Haneen F. Amlih, Bedoor H. Al Qadrah, Afnan A. Almughaiseeb, Fakhr Z Alayoubi

Abstract :

Objective: To examine the level of awareness about Atrial Fiillation (AF) and its associated Risk of stroke among Saudi patients with AF.

Method: This cross–sectional study included 229 patients with AF, visiting arrhythmias clinic in a university hospital from December 2011 to April 2014. Questionnaires were prepared to measure the level of understanding of patients about their disease and its stroke complication.

Results: Out of 300 AF patients’ records that were obtained from the medical record; 241 (80.3%) responded to the phone call, 12 (5%) of the patients who answered, refused participation in this survey. The remaining 239 participants in the study group, (46.3%) males and (53.7%) females, and the age of majority of AF for both genders was between 56–75 years, 31.9 % of patients don’t know the meaning of their disease. The symptoms of AF is only known to 42% of the patients, which includes; palpitations, shortness of eath, dizziness, and chest pain. 71.1% don’t recognize that they are at high risk of stroke, 14.8% of the study group had a previous transient ischemic attack, and 11.8% had stroke. 27.9% of AF patients knows that they have risk factors for development of AF, with no difference between male and female. The most common risk factors for development of AF known to the patients include hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes millitus and ischemic heart disease. The most common cause of AF was hypertension with coexistent of other disease. 95.6% of the patients were on oral anticoagulation, however 35.3% do not know the advantages of the anticoagulation. 86.9% requested to have education about their disease and its complication. 84.7% of them preferred to receive education from their physicians.

Conclusion: Patient’s awareness of their disease (AF) and stroke as a complication is very low, which indicate the greater need to develop health education programs to improve the knowledge of patient with AF and its complication.