Nursing of patients with vocal cord movement disorder after aortic dissection surgery

Background Vocal cord movement disorder(VCMD)is a laryngeal disorder characterized by paradoxical adduction of the vocal cords during in inspiration,expiration or both.The nursing experience of patients with VCMD after aortic dissection surgery is limited.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and nursing records of 269 patients after aortic dissection surgery in Guangdong General Hospital between May2010 and May 2012.We observed the patients’pronunciation,and judged if there was dysphagia undergoing water drinking test two hours after extubation,to confirm whether patients had VCMD.Results Seventeen patients had VCMD after aortic dissection surgery,of whom 2 suffered hoarseness,3 had dysphasia and 12had both hoarseness and dysphasia.After timely treatment and carefully nursing,all the patients recovered well.Conclusions With the enhanced care of patients with aortic dissection,observing hoarseness appearance and drinking experiment immediately after extubation can detect VCMD as soon as possible.Further rehabilitation training and psychology care can prevent bucking and aspiration effectively,and promoting recovery and improving patient’s life quality.