In Belém, Jean Bitar Hospital provides guidance on bronchoaspiration with a new educational guide
The publication features easy-to-understand language and visuals with information about what bronchoaspiration is, basic care, and warning signs
The nursing team of the Medical Clinic at Jean Bitar Hospital (HJB) in Belém started distributing the "Quick Guide for Caregivers on Bronchoaspiration" this July. The initiative focuses on patient safety and caregiver education, promoting preventive and humanized care.
The illustrated and easy-to-understand material provides essential information about what bronchoaspiration is, the entry of food, liquids, saliva, or vomit into the airways, as well as basic care, warning signs, and guidelines regarding positioning and diet offerings. The goal is to prevent complications such as aspirational pneumonia, a common and dangerous condition in more vulnerable patients.
According to the nursing coordinator of the Medical Clinic, Cássio Costa, the target audience is caregivers of patients over 65 years old, especially those who are drowsy, bedridden, or using a nasogastric tube or gastrostomy (GTT). "The initiative arose from the need to reinforce guidelines on care during feeding and positioning of patients, especially those at higher risk of bronchoaspiration, a serious condition that can cause lung infections," he explained.
The guide recommends, for example, avoiding oral diet offerings when the patient is drowsy, keeping the head of the bed elevated between 30° and 90°, and always pausing feeding during situations such as diaper changes or bed baths. Warning signs, such as coughing, choking, rapid breathing, excessive drowsiness, or the presence of diet in the tracheostomy, are also highlighted in the material, with the recommendation to immediately contact the nursing or medical team.
Maria Alencar, a 62-year-old doctor from Mãe do Rio and caregiver for her 90-year-old mother hospitalized at HJB, approved the initiative: "These guidelines are important, especially for people who have no knowledge. Often, an elderly person bronchoaspirates because the caregiver does not know how to prevent it. The guide helps a lot," she stated.
The action aligns with patient safety guidelines and reinforces Jean Bitar Hospital's commitment to quality care and humanization of service, promoting active family participation in patient care.
From January to April of this year, HJB performed 1,088 hospitalizations, resulting in a user satisfaction rate of 86.34%.
Service:
Jean Bitar Hospital is part of the public health network of the Government of Pará and is managed by the National Institute for Social and Human Development (INDSH), in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa).
HJB provides medium and high complexity assistance in outpatient and hospital areas for transgender users, and in medical and surgical clinics for patients with metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases. The unit is located at Rua Cônego Jerônimo Pimentel, nº 543, in the Umarizal neighborhood, in Belém.
Text by Marcelo Zeno / HJB Ascom
