Health Psychology Commons^™

Lqts Patients’ Satisfaction With Emergency Room Care, Stephanie H. Felgoise, Katherine Lawrence, Victoria L. Vetter

Research Day

Abstract: Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a genetic condition affecting 1:2,500 that predisposes individuals to cardiac arrhythmias (Ellis et al., 2009). Life threatening symptoms are often unpredictable although there are known triggers to LQTS specific cardiac events. Triggers include physical exertion, emotional upset, and sleep. Events could be triggered by medications, dehydration, and other circumstances that affect cardiac rhythm. Treatments include betablockers, pacemakers, internal cardioverter defibrillators, and automated external defibrillator as precautionary measures. As such, LQTS patients often present to their emergency room (ER) when they become symptomatic. Research suggests that LQTS patients’ experience dissatisfaction in the ER and treatment …