European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

THE EFFECT OF COMA AROUSAL TECHNIQUE ON SELECTED SENSORY PERCEPTIONS AMONG PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN SELECTED HOSPITAL.

*Sunil Patidar, Dr. Sharadha Ramesh and Manisha Mistry

ABSTRACT

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury, defined as brain damage caused by externally inflicted trauma to the head that may result in significant impairment of an individual`s functioning-physical, cognitive, psychosocial. TBI have a period of complete unconsciousness or coma with no awareness of themselves or their surroundings. TBI can have a lasting impact on quality of life for survivors of all ages like impaired thinking, decision making, reasoning, concentration, memory, movement, and/or sensation (e.g., vision or hearing). Several lines of evidence suggest that Coma Arousal Technique (CAT) is a potential nursing intervention that can improve the outcomes in patients with head injury. Objective: 1) To determine the effect of CAT on auditory and visual senses among patients with TBI. 2) To associate the effect of CAT with selected demographic variables of patients with TBI. Methodology: A Quasi experimental: Non randomized control group design was used involving 30 patients of TBI with GCS between 5 to 8 admitted not less than 72 hours. After obtaining informed &written consent from the patient relative, samples were randomly allocated into two groups of 15 patients each in experimental and control group. Experimental group received intervention (CAT) for 2 times a day for 10 consecutive days. The patients were evaluated and monitored using the GCS and CRS-R. Data was analysed using paired t-test, two sample t-test and Fishers‟ exact test. Results: The independent two sample t-test was used for „between the group‟ data analysis. Repeated measures paired t-test were used for „within the group‟ analysis. Experimental group, mean of GCS score in pre-test was 7.0(±1.1), mean of GCS score in post-test was 7.4(±1.3), which showed statistically significant improvement (P<0.05). When compared within the groups, post-test score shows CAT significantly improved the auditory and visual senses. Experimental group, mean of Modified CRS-R score in pre-test was 2.0(±0.7), mean of Modified CRS-R score in post-test was 2.2(±0.8), which showed statistically significant improvement (P<0.05). When compared within the groups, post-test score shows CAT significantly improved the auditory and visual senses. Conclusion: This is concluded from the result of this study that coma arousal technique is having significant effect on auditory and visual senses in TBI patients.

Keywords: CAT, TBI, GCS, Modified CRS-R, Coma.