Fourteen families of coronary artery disease patients were interviewed to describe their perspectives concerning the cardiac disease and hospital discharge. Ten patients had been hospitalized for clinical treatment, and for surgical treatment. The case study method was selected, and the analysis process resulted in the following categories: the disease as a problem, the heart meaning everything and, their coming back home after hospital discharge. We concluded that the heart is the core of the emotions for the relatives and, when the patients return home, there is a concern about keeping them away from potentially damaging emotions that might trigger a new ischemic event.
Patient discharge; Family; Heart; Heart diseases
