ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews. OBJECTIVE: To explore the roles of patients, their caregivers and doctors when making decisions on the method of bladder drainage after spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Five public hospitals in Malaysia. METHODS: Semistructured (one-to-one) interviews with 17 male patients with SCI, 4 caregivers and 10 rehabilitation professionals. RESULTS: Eight themes describing the respective decisional roles of patients, their caregivers and doctors emerged from the analysis: patient's right and responsibilities, patient as an informed decision maker, forced to accept decision; surrogate decision maker, silent partner; doctor knows best, over-ride patient's decision, or reluctant decision maker. Both patients and doctors acknowledged the importance of patient autonomy but not all patients had the chance to practice it. Some felt that they were forced to accept the doctor's decision and even alleged that the doctor refused to accept their decision. Doctors considered the caregiver as the decision maker in cases that involved minors, elderly and those with tetraplegia. Some patients considered bladder problems an embarrassing subject to discuss with their caregivers and did not want their involvement. Doctors were described as knowledgeable and were trusted by patients and their caregivers to make the most appropriate option. Some doctors were happy to assume this role whereas some others saw themselves only as information providers. CONCLUSIONS: A paternalistic model is prevalent in this decision-making process and there is a discrepancy between patients' preferred and actual decisional roles.
Subject(s)
Caregivers , Decision Making , Physicians , Spinal Cord Injuries/psychology , Spinal Cord Injuries/rehabilitation , Adult , Catheterization/methods , Catheterization/psychology , Drainage/methods , Drainage/psychology , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Malaysia , Male , Middle Aged , Physician-Patient Relations , Qualitative Research , Urinary Bladder , Young AdultABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore the factors influencing the choice of bladder management for male patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Public hospitals in Malaysia. METHODS: Semistructured (one-on-one) interviews of 17 patients with SCI; 7 were in-patients with a recent injury and 10 lived in the community. All had a neurogenic bladder and were on various methods of bladder drainage. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analyses. RESULTS: The choice of bladder management was influenced by treatment attributes, patients' physical and psychological attributes, health practitioners' influences and social attributes. Participants were more likely to choose a treatment option that was perceived to be convenient to execute and helped maintain continence. The influence of potential treatment complications on decision making was more variable. Health professionals' and peers' opinions on treatment options had a significant influence on participants' decision. In addition, patients' choices depended on their physical ability to carry out the task, the level of family support received and the anticipated level of social activities. Psychological factors such as embarrassment with using urine bags, confidence in self-catheterization and satisfaction with the current method also influenced the choice of bladder management method. CONCLUSION: The choice of bladder management in people with SCI is influenced by a variety of factors and must be individualized. Health professionals should consider these factors when supporting patients in making decisions about their treatment options.
Subject(s)
Patient Participation , Patient Preference , Spinal Cord Injuries/complications , Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic/etiology , Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic/therapy , Adult , Attitude of Health Personnel , Decision Making , Family , Hospitals, Public , Humans , Inpatients/psychology , Interviews as Topic , Malaysia , Male , Middle Aged , Outpatients/psychology , Peer Group , Self Care , Spinal Cord Injuries/psychology , Urinary Bladder , Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic/psychology , Urinary Catheterization , Young AdultABSTRACT
A 48-year-old male with complete tetraplegia C6 presented with sweating and flushing of the right half of the face and neck that recurred when lying in supine and left lateral positions. The symptoms subsided immediately upon sitting upright or lying in a right lateral position. The symptoms were associated with occasional mild head discomfort rather than headache and were accompanied by marked elevation of blood pressure, which was 190-200/120-130 mmHg compared to his previous baseline blood pressure of 80-90/50-70 mmHg, and he had a heart rate of 60-70 beats per minute. We believe that post-traumatic syringomyelia, found upon further investigation, was the cause of the Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) in this patient. He was advised to avoid the positions causing the symptoms and the progression of symptoms was monitored regularly. AD might not have been diagnosed in this patient because of the atypical and unusual presentations. Therefore, knowledge and a heightened level of awareness of this possible complication are important when treating individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
