Nursing Care for Pregnant Women Infected with Syphilis; Comparative of 2 Case Studies in a Hospital in Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This study aimed to study the nursing process based on Roy's adaptation theory for pregnant women infected with syphilis using a comparison of 2 case studies. The samples were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Retrospective data were collected from interviews with patients and reviewed from medical records. The instruments used were a medical profile record form and semi–structured interview. The Index of item objective congruence was 1.00. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings revealed that pregnant women 23 and 28 years old, both of them were diagnosed with latent stage syphilis. Nursing activities that help pregnant women adapt effectively to physical stimuli, self-concept stimuli, role function stimuli, and Interdependence stimuli include: 1) provide knowledge about the disease through counseling processes to reduce concerns about the impact of the disease on pregnant women and their fetuses and the impact on family relationships, 2)prevent severe allergic reactions to penicillin and the Jarisch Herxheimer reaction, 3) giving the opportunity in choosing a method for pain relief from intramuscular injections 4) family support for activities properly during pregnancy and 5) following up with all sexual partners to receive the treatment. To evaluate: both pregnant women had normal labor and the full-term babies were born without signs and symptoms of congenital syphilis infection. Hence, in the antenatal care clinic, applying Roy's adaptation model may guide nurses in assessment, problem identification, goal setting, planning, implementation and evaluation.