THE IMPACT OF PROTOCOL OF CARE FOR MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH VENTRICULOPERITONEAL SHUNT ON OCCURRENCE OF POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP) is a surgical treatment for children with hydrocephalus (HC). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of protocol of care for mothers of children with VP shunt on occurrence of postoperative complications. A quasi-experimental research design was utilized to fit the aim of the study. The study was conducted in pediatric neurosurgery unit at Cairo University Specialized Pediatric Hospital. A convenient sample of 60 mothers of children who had HC and undergoing VP shunt insertion were included in the study. Data were collected using the following tools: structured interview sheet, recording postoperative complications sheet and pre/posttest and observation checklists. The study results revealed that, the majority of mothers in the study group had higher mean scores and satisfactory level of knowledge and practice after implementation of protocol of care than those in the control group. There were statistically significant differences between mothers in both groups as regards to the total mean score of knowledge and practice after implementation of protocol of care. Children of the mothers in the study group had less postoperative complications than those in the control group. The study results concluded that, the designed protocol of care was effective in improving mothers' knowledge and practice regarding the care of children with VP shunt, as well as reducing the occurrence of the postoperative complications among children in the study group.