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Multifunctional Approach in Cardiac Surgery

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Heart; Surgery, Heart, Functional Disturbance as Result
Interventions
Behavioral: Multifunctional rehabilitation treatment
Registration Number
NCT05824598
Lead Sponsor
Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus
Brief Summary

Postoperative pain and swallowing disorders are complex, multifactorial phenomenon that frequently occur after cardiac surgery. Preoperative anxiety and the interaction between sex and other sociocultural factors may predict greater sensitivity to postoperative pain, whereas the epidemiology and course of swallowing disorders has not been systematically investigated, along with the interaction between dysphagia, post-operative pain and emotional stress. Cardiac rehabilitation is a multifunctional intervention which may address all these functional domains, improving patients' prognosis.

The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the superiority of a multifunctional approach (OMT, systematic swallowing screening and specific treatment according to good clinical practice associated with psychological counseling) compared to local clinical practice in the management of pain and swallowing disorders.

Detailed Description

The TITANIC trial will provide evidence on whether a multifunctional intervention systematically implemented in the cardiac rehabilitation setting will improve the clinical course and prognosis of patients with recent cardiac surgery.

The design is a randomized clinical trial with parallel group design. Patients aged over 18 undergoing elective cardiac surgery and admitted to IRCCS Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Santa Maria Nascente, Milan, for cardiac rehabilitation will be randomized to standard post-acute treatments (cardiovascular training, monitoring and logopedic treatment only in case of swallowing dysfunction) compared with an experimental approach which consists of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) treatments, swallowing screen protocol, psychological assessment and counseling.

This study may help in the identification of a new diagnostic-therapeutic pathway in cardiac surgery patients that allows a reduction in the use of analgesics and anti-inflammatories and increases the early detection of swallowing disorders. Furthermore, by allowing an integrated assessment of emotional needs, it can have a positive effect in reducing the need for post-operative clinical visits and assessments in the medium to long term, improving the patients' quality of life.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
44
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria
  • patients who are unable to sign informed consent.
  • patients with already known psychological/psychiatric disorders.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
TreatmentMultifunctional rehabilitation treatmentThe cases (active treatment) will be treated with an approach that includes osteopathic treatment for pain control (by the Osteopath Bruno Bordoni), systematic swallowing screening (Speech Therapist, Leone Stilo), psychological counseling (Psychologist, Eleonora Volpato, Giulia Novembre ). The duration of treatment will be that of hospitalization, on average about 3 weeks. The osteopathic treatment will last 5 sessions, while the counseling will have one session at the admission and one at the discharge and up to two sessions a week (variable according to individual needs); the swallowing screening will have one session at the admission and one at discharge and about two-three sessions a week (variable according to individual needs).
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain release through the Brief Pain InventoryThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

To verify the effectiveness of the multifunctional rehabilitation approach in reducing pain assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory: likert scale with maximum pain intensity equal to 7-10.

Anxiety and depression control through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression ScaleThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

To verify the effectiveness of the multifunctional rehabilitation approach in reducing anxiety and depression assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), with maximum anxiety and depression equal to 15-21 points.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
To assess functional swallowing disorders post-cardiac surgery (Mealtime Assessment Scale)Through study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Epidemiological framework of the cardiac surgery population, in terms of presence/absence of swallowing disorders. MAS: points 0-36, with higher scores defining the worst outcome.

Anti-inflammatory drugs use (numbers of pills used)Through study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Monitoring the use of anti-inflammatory drugs

LOSThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Length of stay

Number of participants with persistent inflammatory statusThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

The persistent inflammatory status will be described in terms of fever and PCR\> 5 in at least two successive measurements 8 days apart)

Adherence to treatmentThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Monitoring of adherence to treatment using the 4-item Morisky, Green, and Levine Adherence Scale. With a sum of scores of 8, from 6 to \<8 or \<6, patients can be classified as having high, medium or low adherence to therapy, respectively.

Quality of life improvement through the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EuroQoL-VAS) questionnaireThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Consisting of two parts. The first explores 5 areas of interest: mobility, personal hygiene, social activities, pain and anxiety/depression. Each individual area has, in turn, three levels of severity (no problem, problem of some size, problem of extreme seriousness). The second section consists of a 20 cm visual analog scale (VAS) on which the patient indicates the best (score=0) or worst (score=100) possible state of health.

Cognitive impairmentThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Monitoring of cognitive abilities through the administration of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MOCA) scale, with a score more than 17,54 in the normal range. A raw and then corrected score: - less than 15.5 suggests the presence of a cognitive impairment;

- between 15.5 and 17.54 assumes a borderline performance; - a score above 17.54 would show functioning within the normal range.

Quality of life improvement through the Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaireThrough study completion, an average of 4 weeks

Scores can be reported as Z-scores (difference from the population mean, measured in standard deviations). The population mean is 50 points. The population standard deviation is 10 points. Thus, each 10-point increase above or below 50 is one standard deviation from the mean.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

IRCCS Fondazione Don Gnocchi, ONLUS

🇮🇹

Milan, Italy

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