Evidence-Triggered for Care of Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate in Srinagarind Hospital: Operating Room

Abstract

Background: The operating room Srinagarind hospital handles most cases that require surgical repair including cleft lip and palate patients. The average number of patients undergone surgical correction has risen to 216 in 2016 from 150 in 2014. Patients who underwent surgery, particularly infants had to be separated from family, stay in restricted place, abstaining from food and water, these create stress, fear, anxiety and pain to the child and may have affected to the outcomes of the treatment. For parents and families will also are anxious, and fears about the disease and treatment, losing children, disabled children after the surgery. In addition, their concerns with complications of surgery and chance of recovery. Therefore, there is a need to examine the clinical problems of patients who undergo surgery for cleft lip and palate in order to provide comprehensive care.

Objective: To identify problems in regards to care for patients with cleft lip and palate, in the operating room, Srinagarind Hospital.

Material and method: The descriptive study was conducted involving nine departments of nursing services, Srinagarind Hospital. After the consideration of human ethic, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected based on The Center for Advance Nursing Practice Model through the following four stimulators: 1) reviewed 30 patients medical records; 2) reviewed four related literatures; 3) surveyed nurses opinion towards health condition’s and the effects of the 10 families with cleft lip and palate; and 4) interviewed ten mothers and families towards the health of cleft lip and palate children. The interviews obtained 15-20 minutes per case with a total of eight months of collecting data (June 2015 - January 2016). The quantitative data were analyzed using percentage and content analyses were used with qualitative data.

Results: There were four cases underwent operation for cleft lip and palate (40%) four cases underwent age 3-6 months and 10-18 month four cases underwent age 3-6 months and 10-18 month(40%) which included six male (60%) and ten female caregivers (100%), four of which aged older than 50 years (40%), three cases were each a farmer and housekeeper. For nurses, the majority aged between 40-44 years, nine of which had bachelor degree (90%). The results from nurses’ survey found that the caregiver concerned about patients’ hunger, and surgical complications such as hypothermia, pressure ulcers from operation, postural, bleeding after operation which need additional operation, something stuck in operating wound, and infected wound. The interviewing with the caregiver and mother towards patient health conditions found that the caregivers concerned about anesthetic procedure, wound separation and infection, and the operating cost. Most patients felt fear of fainting and thirsty since food and water discontinuation. Based on the literature review, the problems included the caregivers’ concerns about surgical complications which these were similar to those results from the nurses’ survey.

Conclusion: Problems for care of patients with cleft lip and palate in the operating room in Srinagarind Hospital were: 1) concerns about the operation and cost of treatment, 2) surgical complication both immediate and long-term complications, 3) concerns about pain and wound infection. Such evidence would be used in the development plan towards nursing system for cleft lip and palate patients in the operating room.