The Rehabilitation of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease a Clinician’s View

For more than 10 years, an informal and individualised approach to the rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease in the cardiac department at St. Vincent’s Hospital has been based on early ambulation and early discharge of patients, and on encouragement to return to previous employment where possible.

Abstract

For more than 10 years we have adopted an informal and individualised approach to the rehabilitation of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in the cardiac department at St. Vincent's Hospital. Our approach has been based on early ambulation and early discharge of patients, and on encouragement to return to previous employment where possible. The value of this policy has been confirmed in recent years as the safety of early ambulation and early discharge becomes more evident. An uncomplicated case of myocardial infarction (MI) is now ambulated by us in two to three days, is discharged in less than ten days, is reviewed at an out-patient clinic three weeks after discharge and is then encouraged to return to his former employment irrespective of the nature of the work. Patients with complicated MI who are not in residual heart failure and have no other serious complications are also encouraged to return to their former occupation.