The purposes of this study were to identify the relationships among perceived parental bonding, illness perception, and anxiety and to determine the influences of perceived parental bonding and illness perception on anxiety in adult patients with congenital heart diseases.

In this study a descriptive correlational design with survey method was utilized. The participants were 143 adult patients with congenital heart disease being cared for in the cardiology out-patient clinic of A medical center. Data were collected using the Parental Bonding Instrument, Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised Scale, and Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchial regression analyses.

There showed significant positive relationships of anxiety with maternal overprotection, consequences, and personal control respectively. Among predictors, maternal overprotection (b=.45), consequence (b=.26), and personal control (b=-.03) had statistically significant influence on anxiety.

Nursing interventions to decrease maternal overprotection and negative consequence, and to enhance personal control are essential to decrease the anxiety of adult patients with congenital heart diseases.

Common conditions, such as dehydration or respiratory infection can aggravate hypoxia and are associated with interstage mortality in infants who have undergone palliative surgery for congenital heart diseases. This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of a home monitoring program (HMP) in decreasing infant mortality.

Since its inception in May 2010, all infants who have undergone palliative surgery have been enrolled in HMP. This study was a prospective observational study and infant outcomes during HMP were compared with those of previous comparison groups. Parents were trained to measure oxygen saturation, body weight and feeding volume and to contact the hospital through the hotline for emergency situations. Telephone counseling was conducted by clinical nurse specialists every week post discharge.

Forty-one infants were enrolled in HMP. Nine hundred telephone counseling sessions were conducted. Seventy-three infants required telephone triage with the most common conditions being gastrointestinal (50.7%) and respiratory symptoms (32.9%). With HMP intervention, interstage mortality decreased from 18.6% (8/43) to 9.8% (4/41) (χ²=1.15, p=.283).

Results indicate that active measures and treatments using the HMP decrease mortality rates, however further investigation is required to identify various factors that contribute to hemodynamic complications during the interstage period.