Animal-assisted therapy in patients hospitalized with heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Animal-assisted therapy improves physiological and psychosocial variables in healthy and hypertensive patients.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a 12-minute hospital visit with a therapy dog improves hemodynamic measures, lowers neurohormone levels, and decreases state anxiety in patients with advanced heart failure.


METHODS
A 3-group randomized repeated-measures experimental design was used in 76 adults. Longitudinal analysis was used to model differences among the 3 groups at 3 times. One group received a 12-minute visit from a volunteer with a therapy dog; another group, a 12-minute visit from a volunteer; and the control group, usual care. Data were collected at baseline, at 8 minutes, and at 16 minutes.


RESULTS
Compared with controls, the volunteer-dog group had significantly greater decreases in systolic pulmonary artery pressure during (-4.32 mm Hg, P = .03) and after (-5.78 mm Hg, P = .001) and in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure during (-2.74 mm Hg, P = .01) and after (-4.31 mm Hg, P = .001) the intervention. Compared with the volunteer-only group, the volunteer-dog group had significantly greater decreases in epinephrine levels during (-15.86 pg/mL, P = .04) and after (-17.54 pg/mL, P = .04) and in norepinephrine levels during (-232.36 pg/mL, P = .02) and after (-240.14 pg/mL, P = .02) the intervention. After the intervention, the volunteer-dog group had the greatest decrease from baseline in state anxiety sum score compared with the volunteer-only (-6.65 units, P =.002) and the control groups (-9.13 units, P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Animal-assisted therapy improves cardiopulmonary pressures, neurohormone levels, and anxiety in patients hospitalized with heart failure.
Cole
Kathie M
KM
University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. nskmc@mednet.ucla.edu
Gawlinski
Anna
A
Steers
Neil
N
Kotlerman
Jenny
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D004285:Dogs; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002395:Catecholamines; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents