Protocollo “CardioLavoro”: presentazione di un modello di valutazione del reinserimento lavorativo dopo evento cardiaco acuto e dati preliminari

A multidisciplinary protocol (“CardioWork”) for work resumption after cardiosurgery (for ischaemic heart disease or valvulopathy) and cardiological rehabilitation is presented. 84 patients (77 males; 7 females) in working age (mean 49,8 years) were enrolled. The education level was medium-high. The patients underwent psychological and occupational medicine evaluation collecting personal data, cardiovascular risk factors, comorbility, cardiologic and occupational history. The jobs were classified as multiples of basal metabolism (METS), according to the entity of physical strain: in the 84% of patients the tasks were defined as sedentary (< 2 METS) or light (2-4 METS). These data were integrated with those obtained from instrumental cardiological evaluation (24 hours Holter ECG, echocardiography, treadmill ergometric testing) to formulate indications regarding the timing and modality of work resumption, and possible limitations to job fitness. Currently, 52 patients have been re-evaluated after six months: 92% of them have resumed working. Among these, only 4% required a change of the previous tasks. A high compliance (88%) with our indications was observed. These preliminary data indicate that the intervention of the occupational physician in the rehabilitative process after cardiosurgery may optimize the evaluation of the patients’ ergonomic capacity aimed at work resumption.