Assessment of Knowledge on Oral Anticoagulation Therapy among Valve Replacement Patients

Oral anticoagulants are used to treat and prevent blood clots in blood vessels. Rheumatic heart disease is a chronic heart condition caused by Rheumatic fever that is caused by scaring and deformity of heart valves. Surgical interventions for valve disorders include valve repair or valve replacement with Mechanical prosthesis, Biological or Homograft valves. Valve replacement patients should know the important of anticoagulants therapy and prevention of complications.So, the study was conducted on assessment of knowledge on oral anticoagulation therapy among valve replacement patients in JIPMER, Puducherry. The study objective was to assess the knowledge on oral anticoagulant therapy among patients with valve replacement surgery and to identify the association between the knowledge and demographic & clinical variables among patient with value replacement surgery. A cross sectional descriptive research study was conducted among 299 patients who underwent valve replacement surgery. The samples were selected on the basis of convenience sampling technique. The knowledge regarding anticoagulation therapy was assessed through validated questionnaire after informed consent. The study result showed that 51.1% of patients had moderately adequate knowledge, 25.4% of patients had inadequate knowledge and only 23.4% of patients had adequate knowledge on oral anticoagulation therapy.The study findings concluded that one fourth of the patients only had adequate knowledge on oral anti-coagulation therapy and preventive measures of its complications.