Caring for Patients in a Coma Following a Traumatic Brain Injury in Iran.

The study described here is the process of caring for patients in a coma following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Iran. The data that were analyzed come from in-depth semistructured interviews of 20 key participants and associated memos and field notes. The MAXQDA 10 qualitative analysis software was used to assist with the coding of the data. Ten catagories and 26 subcategories were identified from the primary analysis, which fit well into four themes. The main themes that were identified were chaos and confusion, inconsistent quality, multilateral support, and improving care. The processes of caring for persons in a coma following a TBI were found to be an ever-changing, multidimensional, context-dependent process.