Nursing care of Buerger’s disease – a case study

Introduction: Among the many diseases of the vascular system, Buerger’s disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) still poses serious clinical, social, and health problems, despite the great progress and development of medicine. Buerger’s disease is a condition of unexplained aetiology, with periods of exacerbation and remission. Smoking and autoimmune mechanisms play significant roles in the pathogenesis process. In the clinical course of disease inflammations of small and medium arteries and veins occur within the lower and upper limbs. The complexity of the patient’s health condition makes doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists seek the most effective methods of treatment, providing the patient with better physical and mental comfort and quality of life. Aim of this paper is to present an individual programme of nursing care of patients with Buerger’s disease, who were hospitalised in Ludwik Perzyna’s Provincial Polyclinical Hospital in Kalisz.

Material and methods: An individual case method was applied in the work. Medical history, observation, data analysis, and direct survey were used as a research tools.

Conclusions: 1. Buerger’s disease significantly disturbs human functioning in every aspect of life and causes numerous health problems, which requires interdisciplinary treatment. 2. Professional nursing care focused on the patient’s subjectivity is a basic condition to provide better quality and comfort of life in Buerger’s disease patients. 3. The implementation of the nursing care method facilitates preparation and familiarisation of the patient and his/her family to self-care.