Aim: The authors sought to investigate the occurrence of complications and adverse events among patients participating in phase II. Residential cardiac rehabilitation program after coronary event (myocardial infarction, transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft operation) and determine the factors, that can influence the rate and seriousness of these events.
Patients: 724 patients were included in the study prospectively, 302 after myocardial infarction (MI), 64 after coronary intervention (PCI), 358 after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), respectively.
Results: During the rehabilitation program 25.5% of patients suffered from complication, the most frequent events were pleural effusion (5.6%), pericardial effusion (3.9%), Dressler's syndrome (3.5%), heart failure (2.9%), difficulties with wound healing (2.6%), angina pectoris (2.3%), and atrial fibrillation (2.1%). 168 patients (23.2%) could complete the rehabilitation program in spite of these complications, 19 patients (2.6%) had to be transferred to other hospital wards. There was no difference in complication rate among men and women. The rate of complications were different in the patient groups composed according to the last coronary event (16.6% after AMI, 6.2% after PCI, 37.2% after CABG, p < 0.001). Elderly patients (> or = 65 years) had higher complication rate (31.8% vs. 21.3%, p < 0.01). The rate of adverse events were between 0 and 42.6% in a data matrix, built up according to three categories (gender, coronary event, and age groups).
Conclusion: With simple categories we can identify those patients, who had higher complication rate during phase II. Residential cardiac rehabilitation program after coronary event.