EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

Background and Purpose: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a life-threatening illness resulting in heart tissue damage due to blockage of coronary arteries. The survivors are commonly suffering limitations in their activity and increased anxiety levels. The evidence of the effectiveness of training programs for MI survivors is well established, but the short length of the program needs to be highlighted. This report investigates the impact of short length on the functional capabilities of a MI survivor post undergoing exercise programs.

Case Description: The selected case is a middle-aged male who underwent a revascularization procedure after suffering from a MI. The cardiologist stratifies the selected case as a low-risk case for exercise participation.

Outcomes: Pre and post-outcome measures involve the patient taking a walk for six minutes as a test (6MWT) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scale.

Discussion: The study results indicated an increased walking distance of 6MWT and reduced BAI score. Reduced rating perceived exertion scale (RPE) reactions to specified weights, and the responses were comparable in every training session. The patient put much effort into the training as he was enlightened on resistive training and professed the same weight used at the start to be much lighter at the end. There was a strong effect on resistive training as perceived by the patient after the training compared to the low perception at the training. RPE can be accepted as an alternative for HR observing and recording training for cardiac cases for prescribing the appropriate intensity.

Conclusion: The four-week cardiac rehabilitation training seems safe and beneficial for this post-MI patient’s functional ability and mental status. However, these results cannot be generalized to all patients post MI and more research is recommended.

 Keywords: Myocardial Infarction (MI); Six Minutes as a Test (6MWT); Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); Rating Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE); ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI); Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI); Coronary Artery Disease (CAD); Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

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