Application of external diaphragm pacemaker with postural drainage treatment for cervical spinal cord injury patients with tracheotomy

Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of external diaphragm pacemaker with postural drainage treatment for cervical spinal cord injury patients with tracheotomy .Methods Totals of 50 cervical spinal cord injury patients with tracheotomy , treated from 2009 to 2012 , were randomly divided into the research group （n=25） and the control group （n=25）.Patients in the control group were given routine nursing care and were assisted sputum excretion , and given anti-infection treatment and functional training .Patients in the research group , in additional to the regular treatment , were given external diaphragm pacemaker with postural drainage treatment .All the patients were treated for four weeks .The pulmonary ventilation function , lung auscultation, ability of expectoration and self-sensation were analyzed before and after treatment within each group.Results The pulmonary ventilation function of SpO2, respiratory rate, PaO2, and PaCO2 were （96.72 ± 1.89）%, （16.48 ±0.62） per min, （85.15 ±0.43）mmHg and （39.65 ±0.41）mmHg, respectively, in the research group, and （93.83 ±2.11）%, （22.05 ±0.59） per min, （74.80 ±0.29） mmHg and （33.11 ± 0.45）mmHg, respectively, in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant （ t =6.57, 3.45, 9.69, 4.67, respectively;P<0.05）.The grades of lung auscultation and ability of expectoration in the research group were （2.74 ±0.27） and （2.67 ±0.32）, which were significantly higher than those of control group [（2.22 ±0.33） and （2.15 ±0.41）], with significant differences （t=8.78,13.56,respectively; P<0.01）.The improvement of the self-sensation in the research group was better than that in the control group （χ2 =8.86, P<0.05）.Conclusions The external diaphragm pacemaker with postural drainage treatment has obvious better effect for the cervical spinal cord injury patients with tracheotomy , and it is worthy of generalizing . Key words: Drainage,postural; External diaphragm pacemaker; Cervical spinal cord injury; Tracheotomy