Post-Lobectomy Care Considerations for Lung Cancer Patients

  1.Keeping the respiratory tract unobstructed after surgery and timely elimination of respiratory secretions is an effective measure to prevent complications. The methods to assist in sputum removal include percussion method: the patient takes a sitting position, the nursing staff stands at the bedside and forms the hand into a cup to increase the resonance force and loosen the sputum. Start from the bottom of the patient’s lungs. Perform powerful tapping on the chest or back, which should be from top to bottom, from the edge to the middle, and at the same time, ask the patient to cough and press the thorax on the side of surgery with the hand, relax in time when inhaling, and add pressure when coughing to reduce the wound pain, nebulized aspiration; routine nebulized aspiration for about 3 days after surgery, 15-20 minutes each time, the smoke should not be too large; when the patient’s dry throat and thirst affects the cough, gargle or drink a small amount of warm water as appropriate.  2, the care of chest drainage tube: the placement of drainage tube after lobectomy lies in the timely drainage of the patient’s intrathoracic gas, fluid and blood to the outside of the body, so that the remaining lung can be timely reopened, which helps to eliminate the residual cavity in the chest. Therefore, after 6 hours of postoperative lying down, it is changed to semi-sitting position to facilitate drainage. Attention should be paid to observe whether the cap of the water seal bottle is loose and whether the tube is disconnected and twisted or folded. In order to keep the water seal bottle drainage tube, prevent the clot from blocking the lumen, pay attention to the observation of the water column movement in the water seal bottle, the nature, color and amount of drainage fluid, and keep records.  3. Early activity, pay attention to rest and pain relief. Give appropriate analgesia, common pain relief methods are analgesic pumps, etc. Encourage patients to move early, the second day after surgery can sit at the edge of the bed, the condition allows a little standing, 3 days later can be in indoor activities. Early activity can promote the recovery of body functions, increase the ventilation of the lungs, and activity is conducive to the discharge of phlegm, and can also make the accumulation of blood, gas and fluid through the drainage tube to promote lung reopening.  4.Do a good job in diet care. Give high protein, high calorie, high vitamin and easy to digest liquid or semi-liquid diet 6 hours after awakening after surgery, small amount and many meals, which is conducive to improving the body’s tissue repair force and defense ability.  5, strengthen the functional exercise of the limbs: because of the long postoperative bed rest, after 6 hours postoperative should be turned once every 2 hours and massage the skin pressure area, the second day after surgery, patients are instructed to use the upper limb combing, end bowl, from the top of the head to touch the contralateral auricle and other actions, the purpose is to exercise the affected side of the pectoralis major muscle, to prevent the cost of the affected side of the upper limb paralysis.