The Prevalence and Characteristics of Shoulder Pain in Female Patients with Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Abstract

Background: Currently, cardiovascular disease is the most common cause ofdeath in the world. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence andcharacteristics of shoulder pain in female patients with coronary artery bypassgraft (CABG).Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 136 women after (CABG) througheasy access, and questionnaires were distributed to them. The subjects wereasked to complete the questionnaire regarding the time of incidence andcharacteristics of their shoulder pain, their history of exercise, and their historyof pulmonary, cardiovascular, and other diseases. The patients’ intensity of painwas measured using the visual analog scale (VAS).Results: In this study, 45 patients had shoulder pain. In nearly half of thepatients, the pain began from the left shoulder, and one-third of the patients hadpain in both shoulders. Onset of pain was sudden in more than 50% of cases.Conclusion: One-third of patients who underwent CABG suffered from shoulderpain which appeared quickly and within less than a day. The pain was frequentlyin the left shoulder or between the shoulder areas. Since the age of patients inthis study was 50+ years, if the pain persisted, the probability of incidence offrozen shoulder is high.