Nursing care for comatose patients

After the patient falls into a coma, he must be closely cared for and all aspects must be carefully considered. It is best to hire a dedicated nurse to take care of him. In a coma, the patient's organs are still functioning, so care must pay attention to the following aspects:

1. Provide dedicated care , closely monitor the patient's condition, make preparations for rescue, and prepare all necessary supplies to avoid delays in rescue. When performing the operation, call the patient's name and explain the purpose of the operation and precautions to the patient's family.

2. The patient should lie flat or on his side with his head tilted to one side , and clear and suction the secretions in the respiratory tract and oral cavity at any time to keep the respiratory tract open.

3. Strengthen basic nursing care:

(1) Eye care: For those who cannot close their eyes, apply eye ointment or cover them with oily gauze to prevent corneal dryness and ulcers or conjunctivitis.

(2) Oral care: 2 to 4 times/day.

(3) Skin care: Keep the mattress clean and dry, turn over regularly, and follow the "six diligences and one attention" approach, namely, observe frequently, turn over frequently, scrub frequently, massage frequently, tidy up frequently, and replace frequently, and pay attention to shift handovers. To protect bony prominences or pressure areas, corrugated air cushions or gel pads can be used to prevent pressure sores.

4. Supplement nutrition and water : Give nasogastric liquid or total parenteral nutrition as prescribed by the doctor, and replace the gastric tube regularly.

5. Ensure patient safety: For those who are restless, bed rails should be added and restraints should be used when necessary to prevent accidents; nails should be trimmed to prevent scratches; for patients with clenched jaws and convulsions, mouth openers and dental pads can be used to prevent tongue bites and tongue posterior prolapse. At the same time, the indoor lighting should be dim and the staff should move gently to avoid convulsions caused by external stimuli. Accurately implement doctor's orders, ensure the patient's medical safety, and record the amount of water intake and output for 24 hours. Pay attention to keeping warm and cooling down to prevent burns and frostbite.

6. Strengthen incontinence care . Comatose patients can be catheterized under sterile conditions. Patients with indwelling urinary catheters should follow routine urinary catheter care and take good care of the external urethral opening. Keep the perineum clean and dry.

7. Keep the limbs in a functional position , give passive exercises and massage regularly, and conduct early rehabilitation.

8. To keep all types of catheters unobstructed, they should be properly fixed and safely placed to prevent twisting, compression, blockage, and falling off, so as to keep them unobstructed and play their due role. At the same time, pay attention to strictly implement aseptic operation techniques to prevent retrograde infection.

9. Follow the doctor's orders and correctly implement medication treatment.

10. Psychological care: mainly for patients' families.