Patientsäkerhetsrisker för laryngektomerade inom akut- och slutenvård : En kartläggning av vårdpersonals förtrogenhet med kirurgiskt modifierad luftväg

Sammanfattning: People who have undergone laryngectomy have described experiences with healthcare professionals who have knowledge gaps regarding their altered airways. This can be life-threatening in an emergency, for example, if nurses or physicians do not know how to provide oxygen or how to ventilate when performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These types of knowledge deficits have been confirmed in formal studies in several countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of knowledge among healthcare professionals regarding emergency care of laryngectomees, and how confident the staff feel, working with this group of patients. A survey was conducted at two university hospitals and two county hospitals, including departments of otorhinolaryngology (clinic, surgery, ward), emergency wards, ambulance services, intensive care units, and post anesthesia care units. A total of 160 responses were included from 11 physicians, 90 registered nurses, and 59 assistant nurses. Knowledge gaps were found regarding anatomy, appropriate positioning of oxygen apparatus, and what to do in a tracheoesophageal prosthesis crisis. For example, 50% (17 of 34) of the registered nurses and 26% (7 of 27) of the assistant nurses within emergency and intensive care units at the county hospitals knew that a laryngectomee’s only airway is via the tracheostoma. Many of the responders reported poor self-confidence when working with this group of patients. Although there were large variations, the highest levels of knowledge and self-confidence were found among the otorhinolaryngology staff. In general, the results tended to be better in university hospitals compared with county hospitals. Participants requested information and education. Suggestions for how to increase knowledge and the patient safety are discussed in the article.