Quality of Life in Non-Ventilated Tracheostomised Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Tracheostomy is a lifesaving procedure, often done at short notice to the patient and his kin. Living with a tracheostomy plays a significant role in the psychological and social aspect of the patient’s life. Methods: In this study, fifty-two patients who underwent elective tracheostomy and did not depend on assisted ventilation were included. Three international standerized indices namely the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Karnofsky Performance Scale and Living with Tracheostomy Index Scale were used to assess the Quality of Life (QOL). Social, Psychological and Functional domains were assessed by means of questionnaire and specific scoring was allotted. Paired sample T-test was applied to find the level of significance across all domains. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered as the level of significance. Results: Most of the patients fell in the age group of 41–50 years. Domain wise analysis showed, high significant increase in quality of life at final administration of questionnaire with regard to all three domains. The indications of tracheostomy for all the patients in this study was long term mechanical ventilation. The effect of tracheostomy on swallowing and feeding was also noted. A significant amount of patients reported difficulty in communication and strained inter-personal communications. It was observed that patients who could perform their tracheostomy care independently had better self-image and quality of life. Conclusion: All tracheostomy patients had poor quality of life with compromise in Quality of Life across various domains. The functional, psychological and social aspects of quality of life improved over a period of time. Psychological assistance therefore should serve as a prerequisite to the comprehensive management of all patients undergoing tracheostomy.