The Effect of Family Presence and Participation in Patient Care on the Level of Consciousness and the Parameters of Mechanical Ventilations of Brain Injury Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A Semi-Experimental Study

One of the basic needs of patients and families during hospitalization in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) is the presence of a family member beside the patient. Family participation in patient care is accepted in public wards, but unfortunately in ICUs due to the structure and prohibition of visits in these wards, this issue faces many challenges. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of family participation in patient care on the level of consciousness and the parameters of mechanical ventilation in brain injury patients admitted to the ICUs.

This study was a quasi-experimental study. Thirty brain injury patients who had referred to selected hospitals in Isfahan in 2020 were included in the study by available sampling. Patients were assigned to two groups of 15 intervention and control) by random assignment of permutation. In the first-degree family intervention group, family members were present bedside the patients for three days, twice a day at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM and performed a family-centered care program. The control group received routine ward care. The level of consciousness and the parameters of the mechanical ventilations were recorded and measured 15 min before, during and after care. The results of the study were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods and using Chi-square, independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS software version 20.

The findings of the present study revealed that the level of consciousness of the two groups before the study was not statistically significant (P>0.05) but from the third day of the intervention, the mean level of consciousness was significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the breathing rate and the tidal volume of the patients on the mechanical ventilations during three days (P>0.05). This is while the minute volume of the patients during the three days showed a significant difference in the intervention group (P<0.05).

The results of this study showed that family participation in simple patient care in brain injury patients with low levels of consciousness can increase their level of consciousness. This means, certain conditions should be provided in such departments for family participation in simple care matters under the supervision of the ward nurses.