The incidence of complications in comatose patients

Abstract

Introduction: Coma is a severe state from which the patient may not awaken for weeks, months or years. Design: A prospective qualitative study based on structured observation. Objective: The main objective of the study was to identify the incidence of complications in comatose patients. Sample: A total of 22 respondents in a comatose state with an average age of 54.05 years and an average duration of coma of 3.73 years were included in the study. Methods: The structured observation method was used to carry out the research. Interval coding of predefined categories of complications was used, with an interval of every 30 days within one year. Results: A closer relationship between the respondents' sex and the incidence of complications was demonstrated (p = 0.05); conjunctivitis (p =-0.46); inflammation around two-way catheter (p =-0.57); pneumonia (p =-0.53); intertrigo (p =-0.44) and decubitus (p =-0.48). A statistical association between respondents' BMI and the incidence of diarrhea (p =-0.55) and BMI/constipation (p =-0.78) was proven throughout the sample. Significance was not proven between the incidence of complications and respondents' age, not even in relation to the duration of comatose state. Conclusions: The results of the research have proven that the incidence of the complications monitored in the sample of comatose patients is neither independent of their age nor duration of the comatose state. A closer relationship between the respondents' sex and the incidence of certain complications was demonstrated. Identifying the complications of this condition and the specificities of very demanding nursing care can be beneficial in providing quality nursing care for comatose patients.