A Review on Nursing Care of Severe Head Injury Patients Who Undergo Late Versus Early Tracheostomy

Abstract

Introduction: A severe head injury is an illness that causes temporary or permanent neuronal damage. Tracheostomy is one treatment option for critically ill patients, especially severe head injury patients, who require long-term mechanical ventilation. Outcomes for mechanically ventilated patients with severe brain injury have improved, but tracheostomy practices for patients with severe brain injury are still being debated in Malaysia. Objective: This review highlights the pros and cons of early versus late tracheostomy among patients suffering from severe head injuries. Method: The Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms were used to search the previous articles related to the early and late tracheostomy. The database was searched for articles published after 2000. Result: Early tracheostomy brings more beneficial aspects to severe head injury patients. A good prognosis was shown in previous articles. Conclusion: This study seeks to explore whether it is true that early tracheostomy among severe head injury patients will reduce the duration of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, wean patients off the use of ventilators faster, help in resource utilization, bring down the death rate, and reduce the likelihood of ICU readmission. Additionally, improved functional outcomes, aggregate quality of life, and rehabilitation compliance are all expected benefits of performing an early tracheostomy.