• Saad Akhtar Khan, Muhammad Waqas, Badar Uddin Ujjan, Adnan Salim, Gohar Javed, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Malikah Surani, and Marium Khan.
• Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
• World Neurosurg. 2016 Apr 1; 88: 370-373.

BackgroundNeurorehabilitation is an important aspect of continuing care for neurosurgical patients with functional disability. In developing countries, where formal home nursing frequently is unavailable, ensuring care after discharge is a difficult task. Training attendants to provide nursing care is an alternate option. In this study, we compared the outcomes of patients nursed by family members versus those looked after by a professional nurse.MethodsThis was a retrospective observational study conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi. The study consisted of 2 groups. Group 1 (consisting of patients cared for by a professional nurse) included 94 patients and group 2 (patients cared for by family members) included 102. All these patients had activity of daily living score of ≥3. Glasgow Outcomes Scale score, time to decannulation, development/worsening of bedsores, and mortality were recorded and compared between the groups at follow-up.ResultsThe study included 196 patients. Traumatic brain injury was the most common diagnosis. Nursing requirements were similar between the 2 groups and included tracheostomy care, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube care, peripherally inserted central catheter line care, care of patients with no bone flap, and log-rolling. The outcomes of the 2 groups were comparable and included bedsore development/worsening of grade, Glasgow Outcomes Scale score at follow-up, time to decannulation, and 30-day mortality.ConclusionsThere was no statistically significant difference in outcomes of patients nursed by family members compared with the patients looked after by professional nurses.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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