Analysis of the effect of continuous care combined with health education on patients with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure in children and their families.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of continuous nursing care combined with health education on severe pneumonia paediatric cases and their families.

METHODS

The study was conducted at Children's Health Department of Tangshan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, China from May 2021 to May 2023, and comprised paediatric inpatients of either gender with severe pneumonia that was complicated by respiratory failure. The subjects were randomly assigned to either intervention group A receiving continuous nursing care combined with health education, or control group B receiving regular nursing care. Clinical data, such as symptom relief times, length of hospital stay, medication compliance, blood gas indicators, paediatric critical illness scores, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scores, and paediatric quality of life scores, were noted. Data was analysed using SPSS 21.

RESULTS

Of the 78 patients, 39(50%) were in intervention group A; 23(59%) boys and 16(41%) girls with mean age 3.64±0.53 years and mean disease duration 7.13±1.47 days. The other 39(50%) patients were in control group B; 21(54%) boys and 18(46%) girls with mean age 3.69±0.47 years and mean disease duration 7.23±1.31 days (p>0.05). Group A showed significantly shorter times for the disappearance of lung rales, hair forceps, dyspnoea, and length of hospital stay compared to group B (p<0.05). Both groups had significant increase in partial arterial oxygen pressure and blood oxygen saturation levels and decrease in partial carbon dioxide pressure levels after receiving nursing care (p<0.05). Group A had better outcomes than group B (p<0.05). Similar outcomes were noted for paediatric critical illness scores, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scores, and paediatric quality of life scores (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous care combined with health education significantly reduced symptom relief and hospitalisation times, improved blood gas indicators and overall health in children with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure. This was due to better compliance behaviour and health awareness among their families.