Paciente comatoso: sujeito e objeto

Abstract

Objective: The research aims at finding possible emotional responses to stimuli from their family members in comatose patients. It seeks to identify whether comatose patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit respond to stimuli of visitors. The specific objectives: (i) to describe the changes in the monitored physiological responses in comatose ICU patients during family visits. (ii) To assess the degree of importance of verbal and nonverbal communication with comatose patients. Despite the advances in Medicine and Neuroscience, no answer to what precisely occurs with comatose patients is satisfactory, since further understanding of their emotional processes is still required. Methodology: The research comprises a qualitative study conducted in the Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora. Content Analysis (Bardin) of the visitors’ interviews and direct observation to identify the patients’ physiological changes during the family visits were used as methodology. The data collection lasted 45 days of direct observation of selected patients who met the criteria for inclusion in the survey. Eleven comatose patients connected to multi-parameter electronic monitors and artificial respirator were under scrutiny. These devices measured in real time physiological parameters that indicate a patient's response to the stimulus from the visitors (blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate). The measurements were conducted before, during and after the visits. The collected data were recorded in spreadsheets in order to compare physiological patterns and identify changes. One measurement was recorded at two moments without stimulation (before and after the visit), and another one three times with the visitor’s stimulus (during the visit). Results: A thematic analysis of the interviews and the field diary resulted in three major categories: (i) Emotional Responses in comatose patients, in which the presence of emotional responses were found and classified into two categories: physiological changes and superficialization of the consciousness’ level. (ii) The importance of the “other”, through which the types of interaction between visitors and patients were described, in addition to addressing the importance of the visit under a visitor's perspective. (iii) Possibilities of humanization in comatose patient care, in which the relevance of the psychologist in the ICU. Conclusion: The research indicates the presence of emotional responses in comatose patients and provides information on the preparation of a multidisciplinary team to sort out family members who best experience the moment of crisis and stimulate proper and effective interaction of the binomials: "Professional versus family" and "family versus patient." As for the binomial "physician versus patient", the research underscored the need for the humanization of such environments, and contended the reification of the patient in coma. The study also indicates the need for further research with other technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging with a larger number of patients.