Back ground: Providing the best possible care for children requires the
introduction of different therapeutic techniques for a wide range of congenital
heart defects. Aim: To evaluate the effect of mothers' instructional guidelines
on selected post therapeutic cardiac catheterization outcomes among children.
Subject and Method: Research Design: Quasi-experimental research design
was used in the present study. Setting: The study was conducted at Post
Cardiac Catheterization Intensive Care Unit of Cairo University Specialized
Pediatric Hospital. Subject: Purposive sample of 60 mothers of children who
underwent Cardiac Catheterization were included and divided into two equal
group, study and control groups. Tools of data collection: Structured
Questionnaire sheet, Assessment of Mother's Knowledge, Assessment of
Mother's Reported Practises and Post Cardiac Catheterization Assessment
Record were used. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in
the total mean vital signs scores immediately after Cardiac Catheterization and
one week after Cardiac Catheterization for the children in the study group, and
in the mean knowledge and practice scores of the mothers in both groups.
Conclusion: A significant increase in knowledge and practice in caring for
children after Cardiac Catheterization was reported while following
instructional guidelines. Moreover, children of mothers who received
educational guidance had fewer problems after Cardiac Catheterization.
Recommendation: Extensive prospective randomized studies are required to
enhance postnatal outcomes