ABSTRACT

During the early recovery period after traumatic brain injury (TBI), referred to as post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), approximately 44% of individuals may exhibit agitated behaviours. Agitation can impede recovery and poses a significant management challenge for healthcare services. As families provide significant support for their injured relatives during this time, this study aimed to explore the family’s experience during PTA to better understand their role in agitation management. There were 20 qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with 24 family members of patients exhibiting agitation during early TBI recovery (75% female, aged 30–71 years), predominantly parents (n = 12), spouses (n = 7) and children (n = 3). The interviews explored the family’s experience of supporting their relative exhibiting agitation during PTA. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, which revealed three key themes: family contributions to patient care, expectations of the health care service and supporting families to support patients. This study emphasized the significant role of families in managing agitation during early TBI recovery and highlighted that families who are well-informed and well-supported have the potential to minimize their relative’s agitation during PTA, which may reduce the burden on healthcare staff and promote patient recovery.

摘要

在创伤性脑损伤 (TBI)（称为创伤后遗忘症 (PTA)）后的早期恢复期间，大约 44% 的人可能表现出烦躁行为。情绪激动会阻碍康复，并对医疗服务的管理提出重大挑战。由于家庭在此期间为受伤亲属提供了重要支持，因此本研究旨在探讨家庭在 PTA 期间的经历，以更好地了解他们在躁动管理中的作用。对 24 名在早期 TBI 恢复期间表现出躁动的患者家属（75% 为女性，年龄 30-71 岁）进行了 20 次定性半结构化访谈，主要是父母 (n = 12)、配偶 (n = 7 ) 和子女 ( n = 3）。采访探讨了该家庭支持其亲戚在 PTA 期间表现出躁动的经历。使用反思性主题分析对访谈进行了分析，揭示了三个关键主题：家庭对患者护理的贡献、对医疗保健服务的期望以及支持家庭支持患者。这项研究强调了家庭在早期 TBI 恢复期间管理躁动方面的重要作用，并强调消息灵通且得到良好支持的家庭有可能在 PTA 期间最大程度地减少其亲属的躁动，这可能会减轻医护人员的负担并促进患者康复恢复。