Effect of a Structured Supportive and Palliative Caring Approach on the Incidence of Arrhythmia, Chest Pain, and Anxiety in CAD Patients Admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit

Purpose: Given the importance of managing chest pain, anxiety, and cardiac arrhythmia in cardiac care unit patients this study aim to determine the effect of a structured supportive and palliative care approach on these three critical aspects. Patients and Methods: A randomized, double-blind, clinical trial with two groups was conducted in the second half of 2025. The research population included patients who were hospitalized in the cardiac care unit, with a final sample size of 36 people in each group. The data collection instruments included personal information, an electrocardiogram machine, a Visual Analog Scale, and the Spielberger anxiety questionnaire. The variables were measured before the intervention. Routine treatments were then continued for the control group, and in the intervention group, in addition to the routine treatments, a structured supportive and palliative care approach was implemented. Three and seven days after the intervention, these variables were measured. Results: Seventy-two patients participated in this study. As the results showed, chest pain, arrhythmia incidence, and anxiety in both groups decreased over time from the first to the third time; however, this difference was statistically significant in the intervention group for all three variables (p=0.044, 0.012, and 0.03, respectively), whereas in the control group, it was only significant in the anxiety variable (p=0. 045). The findings also showed that the mean scores of chest pain, arrhythmia incidence, and anxiety before the intervention in the two groups did not differ significantly; however, there was a significant difference in the three variables three and seven days after the intervention. Conclusion: As the results showed, supportive and palliative care approaches are effective in reducing chest pain, arrhythmia incidence, and anxiety levels in cardiac care unit patients. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare guidelines in this field based on the results of this study and other published studies. Keywords: supportive and palliative care, arrhythmia, chest pain, anxiety, cardiac care unit, WHO approach