Observation and nursing of complications after laryngeal cancer surgery

Laryngeal cancer patients are prone to complications after surgery. Good care can minimize the damage caused by complications to patients or effectively avoid the occurrence of complications. Therefore, nursing staff should master the observation and care of postoperative complications of laryngeal cancer patients, which mainly includes the care of incisions, pharyngeal fistulas, lung infections and hiccups.

1. Care for bleeding in the incision: After surgery, the incision will be bandaged with pressure. The nursing staff should consciously observe whether there is bleeding at the bandage. If there is a lot of bleeding, the patient should be immediately laid flat and the blood should be washed out with an aspirator to prevent aspiration. The doctor should be notified immediately and hemostatic drugs should be used according to the doctor's orders. In addition, the patient should be reminded to wash the sputum gently and pay attention to the penetration of the dressing material, the properties of the sputum, whether there is a lot of bloody secretions in the mouth, the amount and color of negative pressure drainage, etc.

2. Pharyngeal fistula: After laryngeal cancer surgery, if the surgical sutures are too tight, too much pharyngeal mucosa is removed, there is dead space between the skin flap and the pharyngeal mucosa, preoperative radiotherapy or tracheotomy affects the healing of the mucosa and skin, as well as improper diet after surgery, local infection, and the patient's own poor nutritional status, pharyngeal fistula can be caused. Therefore, we should try our best to avoid infection in the patient's throat, and provide the patient with a high-nutrition diet.

3. Lung infection: The most direct manifestation of lung infection is the changes in the color, texture, amount of the patient's sputum and the patient's body temperature. If a lung infection occurs, the sputum will generally be yellow and thick, and the amount of sputum will be large. The patient will also have a fever, and an examination should be carried out immediately.

4. Hiccup: Hiccup refers to the upward flow of air from the stomach, with frequent sounds in the throat that are rapid and short. When patients have hiccup symptoms, the symptoms can be relieved by adjusting the position of the nasogastric tube, drinking warm water, holding the breath, etc.