Abstract
Objectives:
To describe the characteristics of oxygen inhalation therapy used on elderly patients of the medical clinical department of a Brazilian public hospital, and to evaluate the knowledge of those accompanying them about the therapy.
Method:
An observational, descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample comprised 52 elderly persons who had been hospitalized in the medical clinical department of a public hospital in Minas Gerais for two months. The characteristics of the application of the oxygen inhalation therapy, the sociodemographic aspects and the general health characteristics of the group were evaluated through the analysis of hospital records, medical prescriptions and in loco observation. The knowledge of the persons accompanying the elderly patients was evaluated through a structured interview. Statistical analysis included exploratory univariate analysis, study of the frequencies of the categorical variables and descriptive statistical analysis of the continuous variables.
Results:
There was a predominance of females (53.8%); a mean age of 75 years; a low educational level (two years) and per capita income (between one and three minimum wages); a marital status of married (42.2%); and nonsmokers (48.1%). A total of 67.3% of the elderly persons had not previously used mechanical ventilation and 61.5% were undergoing physical therapy. The most common outcome was hospital discharge without OIT (53.8%). The nasal cannula was the most commonly used device (51.9%); 42.0% of prescriptions were not documented; monitoring was present in 76.9% of cases; 81.8% of those accompanying the elderly patients did not know what the OIT device was and 27.0% reported having changed the oxygen supply device.
Conclusion:
This study identified the relevant characteristics of the application of oxygen inhalation therapy among elderly patients of a public hospital, demonstrating the need for standardization of information, prescriptions and monitoring of such individuals during oxygen inhalation therapy, with educational measures for the healthcare team and those accompanying the patients.
Key word:
Elderly; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Hospitalization.
