Abstract
This study assessed the biological reaction to bathing in adults with acute myocardial infarction (AMI group, n=19) treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and compared the results with those in healthy individuals of the same age (n=19). The bathing procedures followed were generally safe ; subjects were immersed in water at a temperature of 40℃ up to the fourth intercostal space for two 3-min durations, with a 2 min 30s interval for washing the body (for a total of 15 min). Blood pressure, heart rate, autonomic nerve activity, oral temperature, visual analogue scale score, and Borg indices were used to evaluate bathing. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in all these indices except blood pressure. Detailed analysis of individual data revealed an increase in systolic blood pressure of ＞30mmHg after the first bath in two individuals in the healthy group and six individuals in the AMI group. Furthermore, although there was no marked change in blood pressure, premature ventricular contraction (PVC) occurred in three individuals in the AMI group soon after bathing. Although PVC was relatively mild (Lown classification 2) in these patients, a mild dysfunction was found in the left ventricular ejection fraction. Although the precise mechanisms underlying the abnormal findings observed after bathing in these AMI patients remain unclear, these results suggest that it is important to thoroughly understand hemodynamics and pathological condition before bathing to develop safer bathing methods.
