Abstract

The use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for chelation in patients with diseases of the circulatory system has been a controversial issue for several decades. However, there was a lack of studies substantiating the perceived benefits of patients receiving chelation therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on pain and perceived benefits related to the quality of life for patients receiving chelation infusions. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the Health Promotion Model developed by Nola J. Pender. The research questions were what are the effects of chelation therapy on the perceptual quality of life in patients receiving infusions and what are the effects of chelation therapy on the pain of patients receiving infusions? The perceptual quality of life and pain variables were measured using the EORTC QLQ-C3 0 and the Medical Outcomes Study questionnaires. The Pearson product-moment correlation (Pearson r) and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Content analysis was utilized for open-ended questions in the survey. The iii sample consisted of 24 clients currently receiving chelation therapy. The study found four areas related to the quality of life significant: an increase in cognitive functioning and a decrease in levels of fatigue, insomnia, and financial difficulty. Overall, pain was perceived as low in the majority of clients in this study. Findings from this study indicated that clients did notice an improvement of their overall health status and experienced little or no pain. Recommendations for future research were included in this study and conduction of more studies utilizing different methodology so as to validate the efficacy of alternative health treatments.

Degree

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Department

Graduate Nursing

Degree Date

8-1-1999

Publication Number

27919857

Document Type

Thesis

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