Effectiveness of Delirium Care Protocol After Cardiac Surgery

Effectiveness of Postoperative Delirium Prevention, Diagnosis and Intervention Protocol on Patients Monitored in the Intensive Care Unit After Cardiac Surgery

This study was conducted as a quasi-experimental study to determine the effectiveness of the postoperative delirium prevention, diagnosis and intervention protocol in patients monitored in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.

This study was conducted as a quasi-experimental study to determine the effectiveness of the postoperative delirium prevention, diagnosis and intervention protocol in patients monitored in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. The research was conducted at Antalya Training and Research Hospital between 06.03.2023 and 22.05.2023. The sample of the study consisted of 64 patients who underwent cardiac surgery and met the inclusion criteria. Within the scope of the study, patients were divided into two groups: control (32) and intervention (32). While the patients in the intervention group received care in line with the "Postoperative delirium prevention, diagnosis and intervention protocol", the patients in the control group received routine nursing care for delirium. The data of the study were collected using the Patient Identification Form, Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation, Glasgow Coma Scale, Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale, Confusion Assessment Scale in the Intensive Care Unit, Nurse Diagnosis Form, Information Assessment Form for Postoperative Delirium (Pretest-Posttest) and Postoperative Delirium Prevention, Diagnosis and Intervention Protocol Checklist. In the first stage of the study, which consisted of three stages, the incidence of delirium in the control group patients receiving routine nursing care and the delirium diagnosis status of the nurses were determined. In the second stage, nurses were given training on postoperative delirium prevention, diagnosis and intervention protocol, and a preliminary study of the protocol was conducted. In the third phase, which is the last phase, patients in the intervention group received care in line with the "Postoperative Delirium Prevention, Diagnosis and Intervention Protocol".

Inclusion Criteria:

• Volunteering to participate in the study,
• Being 18 years or older,
• Ability to speak and communicate in Turkish,
• Having undergone cardiac surgery and being on the first postoperative day,
• Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS) score of -3 and above,
• Having a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 8 and above,
• Not having a serious psychiatric or neurological diagnosis,
• No serious visual or auditory problems

Exclusion Criteria:

• Undergoing surgeries other than cardiac surgery (such as abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair, thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral artery disease, carotid endarterectomy),
• Previous cardiac surgery,
• Postponing or canceling the surgery,
• No preoperative admission to the cardiovascular surgery service and no emergency surgery.