Personal Use of Medical Equipment in Home Care Patients

Lim, nan Young; Kim, Keum Soon

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the use of medical equipment in patients receiving home care service. The subjects of this study were 88 patients cared by seven home care nursed who were registered in the Seoul Nurses Association. Data was collected from Aug. 1, 1998 to Dec. 30, 1998. The findings are as follows. 1. The sample was found to be 55.7% female : 51.7% over 65 years old. 75% with neurologic disease including CVA, brain tumor, ICH, Parkinsonism & Spinal stenosis and 78.4% living in Seoul. The Clinical experience of the home care nurses was greater than five years. 2. Medical equipment which the patients port sensed were folly catheters(61.4%), L-tubes(59.1%) and tracheostomy tubes(51.1%). 3. Technical difficulties in use of medical equipment were related to home care ventilators(60.0%), L-tubes(3.8%) and tracheostomy tubes (2.2%) 4. Most of the medical equipment were obtained from the hospital where they had been admitted previously or from medical equipment companies. 5. Complications from the use of this equipment were infection through invasive techniques Including wound drainage tubes(50%), and IV injections(22.2%), The complications were resolved through referral to the doctor of the hospital where they were previously admitted or through community health centers. 6. Most of the equipment was disposable, and equipment was disinfected by using various methods including boiling and soaking in antiseptic solutions. These findings suggest that consistant policy on the management of medical equipment is necessary for the safety of home care patients.