Introduction: To analyze the factors affecting psychological quality of life of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) patients.
Methods: We investigated 214 patients from DEF-Chiba study which is a multi-center registry in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. All patients completed the Florida Shock Anxiety Scale (FSAS) at the time of registration. The FSAS is a tool designed to provide a quantitative measure of ICD shock-related anxiety. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determinate the important predictors of log-transformed FSAS scores.
Results: Fifty females (23%) were enrolled in this study and the mean period from implantation to registration (F/U period) was 34±30 months. Ninety seven patients (45%) underwent an ICD for primary indication and 55 patients (26%) had experienced shock therapy. Defibrillation threshold (DFT) testing was performed in 114 patients (53%). Female gender, experience of shock therapy, and a secondary indication were selected as a predictor of ICD shock-related anxiety. While age, F/U period and DFT testing did not correlate with the FSAS score.
Conclusions: Experience of shock therapy is the most important determinant of psychological distress in ICD patients.