Nursing Care for Patients with Comorbidities Who Underwent Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy under General Anaesthesia: Case study Research

Abstract

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a popular modality nowadays because of the small wound and a short recovering time. This study focused on nursing care of patients with comorbidities who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia. The study cases were two patients who had comorbid diseases being hypertension and asthma, which are complex, hence knowledge required to assess patients to identify problems and prepare for the nursing care. A comparison was made among pre-, intra- and post-anaesthesia periods. Results showed that both patients had a similarity in that they lacked the knowledge of pre- and post-surgical self-care, and of general anaesthesia practice. A difference was that morphine was used in case 1, and fentanyl was opted in case 2 to avoid hypertension and asthma exacerbation. Moreover, in case 1, hypertension medication was given after tracheal intubation and before tracheal extubation due to the tendency of rising blood pressure. Neither case had serious post-operative complications. Based on the results of the study, important nursing care includes assessing and identifying problems, educating, providing advice, and finding ways to prevent adverse events. This study provides inputs for a guideline for anaesthesia nursing practice in patients with hypertension and asthma to prevent potential complications.