ABSTRACT
Introduction: Head injury is an important problem in the community. Side effects of injury relates to nursing care quality. The first and important factor for study in these patients is the situation of airway. Often due to the airway obstruction and reduction of ventilation, hypoxia in brain tissue occurs. With increased number of patients with head injuries and the vital importance of this organ, the observance of the care and nursing points is necessary. For several consecutive years, Aden Brock anesthesiology institute has examined the condition of airway but in Iran, only in 1995, a study in Tehran has considered the nursing, condition of airways
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of care in the airways of head injury patients in emergency department of Bahonar Hospital in Kerman City
Materials and Methods: This research is a descriptive cross- sectional research carried out on 384 patients with head injury hospitalized in emergency department of Shahid Bahonar Hospital in winter 2003. Instrument for data collection was an observational checklist consisting of 15 care criteria that their validity and reliability were confirmed. It was for gathering demographic data
Results: Results showed that 86.5% of male patients presenting to the emergency department were the morning working shift. The patients were in the age group of 20-24 years. Their arrivals were due to the closed injuries and strokes that were consistent with study of Aden Brock Institute in 1997. The greatest rate of optimal care [98.5%] is related to the mode of oxygen therapy and the lowest correct application of sterile principles in pharynx and tracheal suction
Conclusion: It can be concluded that because of multiple traumas in men, quality of care for female patients was more favorable but among female patients, quality of care for natural airways, the conditions of head and neck, oxygen consumption, observation of safety issues, control of breathing counts and attention to the potency of tracheal tube were unfavorable and, thus, improvement for quality of care is suggested