Ictus and recovery: the patient’s perspective
Section: Featured Articles
How to quote
Garate Etxenike L, Gónzalez de San Pedro M, González Gómez R, Viniegra Ros T, Alonso Vallejo MM, García Centeno V, Garitano Tellería B. Ictus y recuperación: la perspectiva del paciente. Metas de Enferm mar 2009; 12(2): 20-25
Authors
1Lucía Gárate Etxenike, 2Marta Gónzalez de San Pedro, 3Raúl González Gómez, 3Teresa Viniegra Ros, 4Mª Milagros Alonso Vallejo, 5Victoria García Centeno, 6Begoña Garitano Tellería
Position
1Enfermera en el Hospital de Txagorritxu. Máster en Enfermería por la Universidad de Edimburgo.2Enfermera del Hospital Royo Villanova, Zaragoza.3Enfermero/a Unidad de Neurología. Hospital de Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz.4Adjunta a Docencia. Hospital de Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz.5Supervisora Unidad de Neurología. Hospital de Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz.6Supervisora Unidad de Calidad. Hospital de Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Contact address
C/ José Atxotegi, s/n. 01009 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Contact email: luciagarate@yahoo.es
Abstract
Introduction: Brain vascular pathology has an enormous impact on the patient’s life. It leads to great physical, psychological and social losses. Recovery from acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD) is a complex phenomenon which up until recently had been scarcely studied from the patient’s perspective. The objective of this study is to understand what recovery means to patients who have recently suffered an ictus.
Methodology: qualitative study in which 12 ictus patients were interviewed in-depth within the first month of recovery. Each participant was interviewed twice, once in the hospital and once in their home. Each interview was recorded and transcribed in its entirety. Data saturation was reached. The generated text was analyzed using discourse analysis.
Results and conclusions: to patients, recovery encompasses two dimensions: recovery as an objective, in which loss and recovery of what has been lost are the most important aspects; and recovery as a process, where hope, uncertainty and the search for evidence of improvement constitute the categories. They determined that recovery means “returning to their previous state”, before the ictus, or, in the case of that not being possible, “at least recovering enough to be self-sufficient”. Although they acknowledge that their future is uncertain, they remain hopeful that with time and effort they will achieve recovery.
The results obtained are coherent with reviewed literature. Understanding what recovery means to ictus patients is essential to determine objectives and to develop individualizad care plans.
Keywords:
ictus; recovery; loss; patient perspective; uncertaintyhope
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