Anestesiologisk omvårdnad av patient med obesitas
ABSTRACTBackground: Obesity and overweight are health issues that more than every tenth person around the world suffers from and the number of individuals with BMI >30 is every growing. As a result, more patients that are subjects to anesthesia will have an increased BMI. Changes in respiration, airway anatomy, altered drug metabolism and multiple physiological changes in the body makes general anesthesia, of the patient with obesity, an anesthesiological challenge.Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the specific anesthesiological nursing care of the patient with a BMI >30, undergoing general anesthesia.Method: A research plan is created and to test its credibility, a pilotstudy of 15 surveys in two surgical departments will be conducted. This study has a qualitative inductive design and the data collected through semistructured questionnaires. The result was analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Result: The result showed a clear focus on three main areas; airway management, pharmaceuticals and positioning of the patient. Nine subcategories appeared. The majority of respondents indicated that they had not received special training in the care of patients with obesity and that special considerations are needed.Discussion: The result is to a certain extent consistent with current research. Other areas that current research emphasizes as essential, such as circulation, were not brought up by the respondents. The result showed a lack of a clear consensus in the anesthesiological nursing care of patients with obesity. The authors of this study believe that further research is needed to find consensus and develop clear guidelines for the optimal anesthesiologic nursing care.KeywordsObesity, nursing care, general anesthesia