Abstract
The researcher observed that nurses prefer not to nurse patients with an open abdomen as they fear that the abdominal contents will protrude. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of registered nurses taking care of patients with an open abdomen in intensive care in an academic hospital in Gauteng, and to provide recommendations for registered nurses when taking care of patients with an open abdomen. The research design used was a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design. Focus group interviews were conducted with each group comprising six participants. The research question was: What are the experiences of registered nurses caring for patients with an open abdomen in an intensive care unit? What recommendations can be made to assist registered nurses in taking care of patients with an open abdomen in an intensive care unit? The data was analysed using Tesch's method. Three themes emerged: Difficulty in nursing care, complications such as fistula and infections, and poor hospital administration. Recommendations for assisting registered nurses in taking care of patients with an open abdomen were then made based on the findings of the four focus group interviews. Ethical principles and measures of trustworthiness were adhered to throughout the research study.
Highlights
Introduction and rationaleOpen abdomen surgery is a surgical procedure that takes place in theatre and is known as a laparotomy
According to Worhunsky, Magee, and Spain (2013, p. 33), the first open abdominal surgery was performed by Ogilvie in 1940 and during that time he used “canvas light” or cotton cloth sterilised in Vaseline to cover the abdomen temporarily
It was found that the participants experienced difficulties in taking care of patients with an open abdomen
Summary
Open abdomen surgery is a surgical procedure that takes place in theatre and is known as a laparotomy. Since 1940 open abdominal surgery has become a daily procedure used mostly in ICUs to manage critical and unstable trauma patients with abdominal injuries. Performing open abdomen surgery facilitates accessibility when doing repeated relook laparotomies, and aids in the healing and prevention of abdominal compartment syndrome An open abdomen assists in decreasing mortality rate and preventing abdominal compartment syndrome Open abdominal surgery is performed mostly on trauma patients suffering from penetrating injuries, blunt injuries, or a combination of blunt injuries and penetrating injuries. Blunt abdominal injuries are usually due to assault or caused by pedestrian vehicle accidents, motor vehicle accidents and falls from a height (Kman, Knepel, Hays, & Menaker, 2012, pp. 1e4)
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