The pattern of hospital-community-home (HCH) nursing in tracheostomy patients with severe traumatic brain injury: is it feasible?
Abstract Background Tracheostomy is very common in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and long-term nursing care are needed for those patients. We aimed to evaluate the effects of hospital-community-home (HCH) nursing in those patients. Methods Tracheostomy patients with severe TBI were included. Glasgow coma score (GCS), Karnofsky, Self-Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Barthel assessment at the discharge and two months after discharge were evaluated. Results A total of 60 patients were included. There weren’t significant differences between two groups in the GCS, Karnofsky, SAS and Barthel index at discharge((all p > 0.05), the GCS, Karnofsky and Barthel index was all significantly increased after two months follow-up for two groups (all p < 0.05), and the GCS, Karnofsky and Barthel index at two months follow-up in HCH group was significantly higher than that of control group(all p < 0.05), but the SAS at two months follow-up in HCH group was significantly less than that of control group(p = 0.009). The incidence of block of artificial tracheal cannula and readmission in HCH group were significant less than that of control group (all p < 0.05). Conclusion HCH nursing care is feasible in tracheostomy patients with severe TBI, future studies are needed to further evaluate the role of HCH nursing care.