The Effect of Practices by Caregiver Mothers of Children with Tracheostomies at Home on the Occurrence of Pressure Ulcers

Abstract

Introduction: Children with tracheostomies who are bedridden at home are vulnerable to the risk of pressure ulcers. This study aimed to determine the practices made by mothers, who care for their children with tracheostomy at home, for pressure ulcers and identify the associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was designed with 190 mothers with a child with tracheostomy who met the inclusion criteria. A comprehensive, semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Besides descriptive analyses, chi-square statistical test was used to test the relationship between variables. Results: 60.5% of mothers with tracheostomy children lacked sufficient knowledge about how to prevent pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers developed in tracheostomy children, mostly due to medical devices such as percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (36.8%) and tracheostomy tubes (33.2%). There was a significant correlation between caregiver mothers' knowledge about pressure ulcers, their practices (positioning the child, moisturising the skin, massaging, etc.), and the presence of pressure ulcers (p=0.000). Conclusion: The risk of medical device-related pressure ulcers is high in children with tracheostomies who are dependent on medical technology at home. It is important for nurses and caregivers to identify risk factors for children with tracheostomies. Practical training programmes should be organised to improve caregivers' knowledge and practices to prevent pressure ulcers.