ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the best time for indwelling gastric tube after tracheal stenosis in infants with congenital heart disease, so as to shorten the indwelling time and relieve the pain of children with tracheal tube. Methods A total of 50 infants with congenital heart disease combined with tracheal stenosis were divided into observation group (26 cases) and control group (24 cases) by the admission order. The observation group accepted swallowing function evaluation combined with physiological indicators to determine the timing of removal of indwelling gastric tube while the control group just conventionally evaluating swallowing function. Results The ICU retention time and total hospitalization days was (4.35 ± 0.94), (23.15 ± 4.92) d in the observation group, and (6.27 ± 1.42), (27.42 ± 6.43) d in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (Z=5.589, 2.621, P<0.05). The extubation time was (2.85 ± 0.23), (4.50 ± 0.27) days in the observation group and the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2= 15.595, P<0.01). Conclusions Deglutition function assessment combined with physiological indicators for evaluating the time of retention of gastric tube after tracheal stenosis in infants with congenital heart disease could be more effective to reduce the occurrence of secondary intubation and postoperative complications,shorten the course of the disease, improve infants comfort level,promote postoperative recovery.