Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Intensive Care Unit 4131, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Institute of Health Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 457, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2018 Dec;49:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2018.05.005. Epub 2018 Jun 21.
Necrotising soft tissue infection, or necrotising fasciitis, is a rapidly progressing disease requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment consisting of antimicrobial therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, debridement surgery and treatment in the intensive care unit. The harrowing illness trajectory affects the family caregivers potentially producing long-term psychological issues.
We aimed to explore the experiences and coping strategies of family caregivers during the first six months after patient diagnosis of necrotising soft tissue infection.
Our study had a prospective, explorative, qualitative design using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to understand necrotising soft tissue infection as an intrinsic and instrumental case. Family caregivers (n = 25) were recruited at three university hospitals in Denmark and Sweden.
We identified three chronological themes describing issues of importance to the family caregivers. In the intensive care unit: Coping with illness and intensive care; In the ward: Coping with injury and post-intensive care and At home: Coping with recovery and new home life.
Challenges facing family caregivers of necrotising soft tissue infections survivors are still under-recognised. Healthcare professionals need to ensure that families and stakeholders throughout the patient trajectory have access to and co-create timely information and care plans to bridge the knowledge gap across care environments and to relieve family responsibility.
坏死性软组织感染，或坏死性筋膜炎，是一种迅速发展的疾病，需要立即诊断和治疗，包括抗菌治疗、高压氧、清创手术和重症监护治疗。这种痛苦的疾病轨迹可能会对家庭照顾者产生长期的心理问题。
我们旨在探讨患者被诊断患有坏死性软组织感染后的头六个月内，家庭照顾者的经历和应对策略。
我们的研究采用前瞻性、探索性、定性设计，使用半结构式访谈和主题分析来理解坏死性软组织感染作为内在和工具性病例。家庭照顾者（n=25）在丹麦和瑞典的三家大学医院招募。
我们确定了三个按时间顺序排列的主题，描述了对家庭照顾者重要的问题。在重症监护病房：应对疾病和重症监护；在病房：应对创伤和重症监护后；在家中：应对康复和新的家庭生活。
对坏死性软组织感染幸存者的家庭照顾者所面临的挑战仍然未被充分认识。医疗保健专业人员需要确保在整个患者病程中，家庭和利益相关者都能获得并共同制定及时的信息和护理计划，以弥合护理环境中的知识差距，并减轻家庭责任。
