The objectives of the work The objective of this work has been set as the mapping of degree of patient's contentment/ rate of patient's satisfaction in view of the nurse's approach within the scope of the post-thoracic operation care and the evaluation/ assessment whether the needs of the aforementioned patients have been satisfied. Another objective of the research enquiry has been set as finding out the level of the nurse's awareness regarding the ways and possibilities of the subsequent care. Methodology For the purpose of the research enquiry the form of qualitative research has been chosen and adopted, which has been applied and performed by means of using a method of interviewing i.e. putting questions which have been prepared beforehand, well in advance. Research array of patients consisted of 10 patients from one hospital (which is not going to be specified in this work) as well as 8 nurses whose job was to take care of the post-operative patients/ the post-thoracic operation patients. The results of the research have been processed by applying the method of open coding, pencil-paper method. Assets and Benefits of this Work The research enquiry has showed certain level of absence of desirable knowledge as well as ignorance of the staff taking care of the patients regarding the ways of subsequent care. Nurses should be educated about the possibilities of home care, hospice care as an integral part of their profession. The results gained by research enquiry process could be presented at seminars, conferences aimed at the subsequent care.

Adequate pain assessment is a pre-requisite for appropriate pain management. If pain remains untreated in critically ill young children, it can have dramatic short- and long-term consequences on their health and development. Apart from humanitarian reasons, the assessment of pain has been recognised in some parts of the world as the fifth vital sign and thus should be part of standard practice of pain management. The evaluation of pain in preverbal children is, nevertheless, challenging for health professionals, as they cannot rely on self-report when making their assessment. Observational pain instruments have been developed to facilitate this task, but none of these existing instruments are appropriate for the postoperative critically ill young child. The aim of this research was to provide a clinically valid pain instrument for health professionals to use in practice for the evaluation of the pain and the effectiveness of pain treatment in critically ill young children. This thesis presents research that was conducted in three phases to (a) describe pain, (b) develop, and (c) test the pain instrument. Conceptualisation of pain and psychometric theory informed the conceptual framework for this study. An observational design was used in Phase One of the study to define pain behaviour in critically ill infants. Correlational design was used in Phase Two and Three to determine the association between the newly developed pain scale and other pain assessment instruments. Phase One of the study was conducted in the paediatric intensive care units of two tertiary referral hospitals. Eight hundred and three recorded segments were generated from recordings of five critically ill infants, aged between 0 and 9 months, who had undergone major surgery. / Results indicated significant physiological and behavioural changes in response to postoperative pain and when postoperative pain was exacerbated by painful procedures. Using the pain indicators observed in Phase One, in Phase Two the Multidimensional Assessment Pain Scale (MAPS) was developed and tested for reliability and validity in 43 postoperative preverbal children from the same settings. Internal consistency and interrater reliability were moderate and good, respectively. Concurrent and convergent validity was good. In Phase Three, the MAPS' response to analgesics and clinical utility was demonstrated in a convenience sample of 19 postoperative critically ill children aged between 0 and 3 1 months of age at a tertiary referral hospital in Western Australia. Development of a pain instrument is a complex and lengthy process. This study presents the preliminary psychometric properties that support the validity and clinical utility of the Multidimensional Assessment Pain Scale. The MAPS is a promising tool for assessing postoperative pain in critically ill young children, and its clinical validity will be strengthened with further testing and evaluation.

<p><strong>Bakgrund:</strong> Att förebygga, bedöma och behandla smärta är centralt i anestesisjuksköterskans arbete. Barns upplevelser och uttryckssätt vid smärta skiljer sig mycket från vuxnas. Det är därför en stor utmaning för anestesisjuksköterskor att tolka barns uttryck och känslor för att förstå barnet och kunna erbjuda trygghet och smärtlindring. Forskning har visat att barns postoperativa smärta underbehandlas, trots att kunskaperna om barns smärta ökat. Genom att belysa anestesisjuksköterskans upplevelser kan förståelsen för vad som bidrar till en god respektive mindre god postoperativ smärtlindring av barn öka.</p><p><strong>Syfte:</strong> Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva anestesisjuksköterskors erfarenheter i samband med postoperativ smärtlindring av barn.</p><p><strong>Metod:</strong> Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med åtta anestesisjuksköterskor från ett svenskt länssjukhus i mellersta Norrland.  Insamlad data analyserades med manifest innehållsanalys.</p><p><strong>Resultat:</strong> Utifrån analysen framkom tre kategorier och sju subkategorier. De tre kategorierna var: Att skapa kontakt är en utmaning, Helhetstänkande och Rutiner.  Det var en utmaning för anestesisjuksköterskan att skapa kontakt med ett barn som varit sövd. Det var viktigt att alla personalgrupper samt föräldrar samarbetade, och den egna erfarenheten var den viktigaste källan till kunskap samt att det fanns brister gällande skriftliga rutinbeskrivningar.Diskussion: Det är viktigt att det finns tydliga rutiner som underlättar smärtlindringen av barn postoperativt och barn bör bedöma den egna smärtan i så stor utsträckning som möjligt. Det var viktigt att ha en god planering t.ex. att påbörja smärtlindringen tidigt. Stress och oro innan operation kunde ge effekter långt tid efter. Föräldrarna var viktiga och skall involveras i vården för att vara ett stöd för sitt barn. Barn kan reagera kraftigt på anestesiläkemedel och därför bör de väckas långsamt och under lugna förhållanden.</p> / <p><strong>Background:</strong> To prevent, assess and treat pain is central to anesthesia nurses work. Children's experiences and expression of pain are very different from adults. It is therefore a major challenge for anesthesia nurses to interpret children's expressions and emotions in order to understand the child, and to offer security and pain relief. Research has shown that children's postoperative pain is undertreated, despite that the knowledge of children's pain has increased. By highlighting anesthesia nurses’ experiences the understanding may increase concerning factors that contributes to a good or not so good postoperative pain relief in children.</p><p><strong>Objective:</strong> The purpose of this study was to describe anesthesia nurses' experiences when caring for children with a need of postoperative pain relief.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight anesthesia nurses at a county hospital in the north central part of Sweden. Collected data was analyzed with a manifest content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> From the analysis three categories and seven sub-categories emerged. The three categories were: To create communication is a challenge, Holistic thinking and Routines.  It was a challenge for the anesthesia nurses to communicate with a child that has been put to sleep. It was also of importance that all healthcare staff and parents cooperated. The anesthesia nurses own experiences was the main source of knowledge and there was a shortage of written routine descriptions.Discussion: It is of importance to have clear procedures to facilitate pain relief of children postoperatively and children should assess their own pain as much as possible. To have a good planning e.g. to initiate pain relief before the operation was also of importance. Stress and anxiety before surgery may have an impact long time after the treatment was over. Parents are important and should be involved in the care so they can support their child. Children may react strongly to the anesthesia drugs and therefore they should be brought back slowly postoperatively and in calm conditions.</p>

<p>Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is still a clinical problem and its incidence is unacceptably high. After the introduction of propofol as an agent for induction and maintenance of anesthesia, it was reported that the incidence of PONV was lower. It was also proposed that propofol possesses antiemetic effects. Dopamine, serotonin and opioids may contribute to PONV. Therefore the purpose of these investigations was to evaluate if propofol has dopamine, serotonin or opioid antagonistic effects and if a subhypnotic infusion of propofol decreases the incidence of PONV. </p><p>Nausea and vomiting were induced in volunteers by a dopamine agonist, apomorphine, and by ipecacuanha which releases serotonin from the enterochromaffin cells in the gut. The effects of propofol on gastric emptying and orocecal transit time were evaluated in volunteers with the paracetamol method and by measuring the endtidal hydrogen concentration after ingestion of the trisaccharide raffinose. The effects of morphine on gastric emptying and gastric tone were studied in patients before surgery with the paracetamol method and with an electronic barostat, respectively. The effects of low dose propofol for prophylaxis of PONV were studied in 172 patients undergoing breast and abdominal surgery. Propofol prophylaxis was compared with a multidrug regimen consisting of dexamethasone and three antiemetic drugs, ondansetron, droperidol and metoclopramide. </p><p>Propofol did not abolish apomorphine-induced vomiting but reduced the number of retchings induced by ipecacuanha. Propofol sedation did not influence gastric emptying of liquids but it slightly prolonged orocecal transit time. Gastric relaxation induced by morphine was abolished by propofol but propofol did not abolish morphine-induced delay of gastric emptying. Propofol in a low dose infusion reduced the incidence of PONV but nausea and especially vomiting increased significantly after termination of the infusion. Pro- phylaxis with the multidrug regimen was very effective in preventing PONV. </p><p>These studies have shown that propofol does not have any dopamine antagonistic effect but may have a weak serotonin antagonistic effect. Propofol cannot abolish morphine-induced delay of gastric emptying. Low dose propofol infusion was effective in preventing PONV as long as the infusion was ongoing but after termination of the infusion nausea and especially vomiting substantially increased. The multidrug regimen (dexamethasone, ondansetron, droperidol, metoclopramide) was very effective in preventing PONV and can be recommended as prophylaxis in patient groups with a known high risk for PONV. </p>

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is still a clinical problem and its incidence is unacceptably high. After the introduction of propofol as an agent for induction and maintenance of anesthesia, it was reported that the incidence of PONV was lower. It was also proposed that propofol possesses antiemetic effects. Dopamine, serotonin and opioids may contribute to PONV. Therefore the purpose of these investigations was to evaluate if propofol has dopamine, serotonin or opioid antagonistic effects and if a subhypnotic infusion of propofol decreases the incidence of PONV. Nausea and vomiting were induced in volunteers by a dopamine agonist, apomorphine, and by ipecacuanha which releases serotonin from the enterochromaffin cells in the gut. The effects of propofol on gastric emptying and orocecal transit time were evaluated in volunteers with the paracetamol method and by measuring the endtidal hydrogen concentration after ingestion of the trisaccharide raffinose. The effects of morphine on gastric emptying and gastric tone were studied in patients before surgery with the paracetamol method and with an electronic barostat, respectively. The effects of low dose propofol for prophylaxis of PONV were studied in 172 patients undergoing breast and abdominal surgery. Propofol prophylaxis was compared with a multidrug regimen consisting of dexamethasone and three antiemetic drugs, ondansetron, droperidol and metoclopramide. Propofol did not abolish apomorphine-induced vomiting but reduced the number of retchings induced by ipecacuanha. Propofol sedation did not influence gastric emptying of liquids but it slightly prolonged orocecal transit time. Gastric relaxation induced by morphine was abolished by propofol but propofol did not abolish morphine-induced delay of gastric emptying. Propofol in a low dose infusion reduced the incidence of PONV but nausea and especially vomiting increased significantly after termination of the infusion. Pro- phylaxis with the multidrug regimen was very effective in preventing PONV. These studies have shown that propofol does not have any dopamine antagonistic effect but may have a weak serotonin antagonistic effect. Propofol cannot abolish morphine-induced delay of gastric emptying. Low dose propofol infusion was effective in preventing PONV as long as the infusion was ongoing but after termination of the infusion nausea and especially vomiting substantially increased. The multidrug regimen (dexamethasone, ondansetron, droperidol, metoclopramide) was very effective in preventing PONV and can be recommended as prophylaxis in patient groups with a known high risk for PONV.

Bakgrund: Att förebygga, bedöma och behandla smärta är centralt i anestesisjuksköterskans arbete. Barns upplevelser och uttryckssätt vid smärta skiljer sig mycket från vuxnas. Det är därför en stor utmaning för anestesisjuksköterskor att tolka barns uttryck och känslor för att förstå barnet och kunna erbjuda trygghet och smärtlindring. Forskning har visat att barns postoperativa smärta underbehandlas, trots att kunskaperna om barns smärta ökat. Genom att belysa anestesisjuksköterskans upplevelser kan förståelsen för vad som bidrar till en god respektive mindre god postoperativ smärtlindring av barn öka. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva anestesisjuksköterskors erfarenheter i samband med postoperativ smärtlindring av barn. Metod: Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med åtta anestesisjuksköterskor från ett svenskt länssjukhus i mellersta Norrland.  Insamlad data analyserades med manifest innehållsanalys. Resultat: Utifrån analysen framkom tre kategorier och sju subkategorier. De tre kategorierna var: Att skapa kontakt är en utmaning, Helhetstänkande och Rutiner.  Det var en utmaning för anestesisjuksköterskan att skapa kontakt med ett barn som varit sövd. Det var viktigt att alla personalgrupper samt föräldrar samarbetade, och den egna erfarenheten var den viktigaste källan till kunskap samt att det fanns brister gällande skriftliga rutinbeskrivningar.Diskussion: Det är viktigt att det finns tydliga rutiner som underlättar smärtlindringen av barn postoperativt och barn bör bedöma den egna smärtan i så stor utsträckning som möjligt. Det var viktigt att ha en god planering t.ex. att påbörja smärtlindringen tidigt. Stress och oro innan operation kunde ge effekter långt tid efter. Föräldrarna var viktiga och skall involveras i vården för att vara ett stöd för sitt barn. Barn kan reagera kraftigt på anestesiläkemedel och därför bör de väckas långsamt och under lugna förhållanden. / Background: To prevent, assess and treat pain is central to anesthesia nurses work. Children's experiences and expression of pain are very different from adults. It is therefore a major challenge for anesthesia nurses to interpret children's expressions and emotions in order to understand the child, and to offer security and pain relief. Research has shown that children's postoperative pain is undertreated, despite that the knowledge of children's pain has increased. By highlighting anesthesia nurses’ experiences the understanding may increase concerning factors that contributes to a good or not so good postoperative pain relief in children. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe anesthesia nurses' experiences when caring for children with a need of postoperative pain relief. Method: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight anesthesia nurses at a county hospital in the north central part of Sweden. Collected data was analyzed with a manifest content analysis. Results: From the analysis three categories and seven sub-categories emerged. The three categories were: To create communication is a challenge, Holistic thinking and Routines.  It was a challenge for the anesthesia nurses to communicate with a child that has been put to sleep. It was also of importance that all healthcare staff and parents cooperated. The anesthesia nurses own experiences was the main source of knowledge and there was a shortage of written routine descriptions.Discussion: It is of importance to have clear procedures to facilitate pain relief of children postoperatively and children should assess their own pain as much as possible. To have a good planning e.g. to initiate pain relief before the operation was also of importance. Stress and anxiety before surgery may have an impact long time after the treatment was over. Parents are important and should be involved in the care so they can support their child. Children may react strongly to the anesthesia drugs and therefore they should be brought back slowly postoperatively and in calm conditions.

Bakgrund: Postoperativt illamående och kräkningar (PONV, Post Operative Nausea and Vomiting) är ett vanligt problem efter anestesi. Även om många riktlinjer och riskbedömningsverktyg har utvecklats för PONV, så är implementeringen ofta svår. Attityder och kunskap kring ämnet har visat sig påverka implementeringen av riktlinjer. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka anestesipersonals kunskap och attityder kring PONV och kliniska riktlinjer för att förebygga PONV. Metod: Studien är utformad som en kvantitativ, deskriptiv enkätstudie. En totalundersökning genomfördes på en anestesiklinik på ett större sjukhus i Mellansverige. Enkäten innehöll frågor angående anestesipersonals attityder och kunskaper kring riktlinjer och PONV. Resultat: Anestesipersonalens kunskap om PONV var god och stämde överens med skattningen av de egna kunskaperna. Av respondenterna angav 45,5 % att PONV är ett vanligt problem inom anestesi medan 36,3 % såg det som ett stort problem på kliniken. Riktlinjer för PONV ansågs förbättra patientvården och vara av stort värde för att identifiera riskpatienter, men samtidigt framkom att endast 48,5 % uppgav att de använder riktlinjer för PONV dagligen. Större delen av respondenterna ansåg att det föreligger ett delat ansvar för att riktlinjer följs, men det rådde delade meningar om vilka som delade detta ansvar. Slutsats Orsakerna till den diskrepans som förelåg mellan respondenternas positiva attityder och användandet av riktlinjer kan inte till fullo utläsas i huvudresultat. Det kan dock med stöd av tidigare studier argumenteras att externa faktorer på kliniken spelar in. För att klargöra problemet vidare och hur riktlinjer bättre ska kunna implementeras i den kliniska verksamheten så krävs ytterligare studier i ämnet. / Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common problem after anesthesia. Even though many guidelines and risk assessment tools for PONV have been developed, implementation often is difficult. Attitudes and knowledge regarding the subject have been shown to influence the implementation. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate anesthesia staffs knowledge and attitudes regarding PONV and guidelines. Method: The study is designed as a quantitative, descriptive questionnaire study. A census of an anesthesia clinic of a larger Swedish hospital was executed. The questionnaire contained questions concerning anesthesia staffs attitudes and knowledge about guidelines and PONV. Results: The anesthesia staffs knowledge of PONV was good and correlated with their self-assessment. Of the respondents 45,5 % stated that PONV was a common problem in anesthesia, while 36,3 % regarded it as a big problem in their clinic. Guidelines for PONV were seen as improving patient care and to be of great value for identifying risk patients, while only 48,5 % stated that they use PONV guidelines daily. The major part of the respondents deemed the responsibility for following guidelines as collective, however the opinion on exactly who shared this responsibility differed. Conclusion: The reason for the discrepancy that occurred between the respondents’ positive attitudes and the use of guidelines cannot be fully deduced from the main results. However, with the support of earlier studies it can be argued that external factors in the clinic contribute. Further studies of the subject is needed to clarify the problem.

Syfte: Att undersöka huruvida patienterna upplever det postoperativa förloppet avseende smärta i hals, heshet, smärta vid sväljning samt generellt obehag beroende på om endotrakealtub (ETT) eller i-gel supraglottic airway device (SAD) använts i samband med generell anestesi vid elektiv kirurgi. Metod: I denna kvantitativa tvärsnittsstudie samlades informationen in på formulär. Parametrarna skattades av patienterna med hjälp av visuell analog skala (VAS). 60 patienter tillfrågades konsekutivt till studien och 13 föll bort vilket resulterade i 47 patienter som fullföljde studien. Resultat: Gällande graden av smärta i hals, heshet, sväljsvårigheter och allmänt obehag postoperativt så skattade sammanlagt sju deltagare i grupperna med ETT och i-gel ett VAS värde över 3. Patienter som haft ETT upplevde signifikant mer heshet, och sväljsvårigheter än patienter som haft i-gel. Slutsats: Denna studie visar att patienter som får ETT eller i-gel skattar sina besvär avseende smärta i hals, heshet, sväljsvårigheter och allmänt obehag i en låg frekvens. Dessutom påvisas att majoriteten av de som skattar besvär gör detta i de lägre segmenten av VAS skalan. / Aim: To examine how patients perceive the postoperative recovery in regards of pain in the throat, hoarseness, dysphagia, and general discomfort due to the endotracheal tube (ETT) or the i-gel supraglottic airway device (SAD) used in general anaesthesia during elective surgery. Method: This quantitative cross-sectional study gathered information on forms. The parameters were estimated by patients using visual analogue scale (VAS). 60 patients were asked consecutively to the study and 47 patients completed. Results: The level of pain in the throat, hoarseness, dysphagia and general discomfort post-operatively were estimated by a total of seven participants in the group with ETT and i-gel as higher VAS values than 3. Patients with ETT perceived significantly more hoarseness and dysphagia than patients with i-gel. Conclusion: This study shows that patients with ETT or i-gel estimates their complaint regarding pain in the throat, hoarseness, dysphagia and general discomfort in a low frequency. It also demonstrates that the majority of those who estimate these parameters do so in the lower segments of the VAS scale.

ABSTRACT   The purpose of this medical record research was to study 30 patients with chronic subdural hematoma on a neurosurgical clinic, mapping documented nutritional status, preoperative fasting and hydration and energy supply before surgery. In addition peroperative administration of fluid and vasoactive drugs, as well as postoperative complications and length of hospital stay were studied. The mean age of the patients was 71 years. Nutritional status was evaluated in 12 patients, out of these seven were judged to be at risk for under nutrition. Fifteen patients had surgery day 1 (total fasting time on average m 11 h), eleven had surgery day 2 (29 h), three had surgery day 3 (35 h). One patient had surgery day 4 (61 h). Fluid and energy administration during the preoperative fasting did not meet the basic requirements. The majority of the patients received vasoactive drugs and more than twice the normal requirement of fluids during anesthesia. Postoperative complications were documented in 11/30 records. There was a significant correlation between preoperative fasting hours and length of hospital stay, however there may not be a causal relationship.   The conclusion is that the fasting period is significantly longer than the guidelines recommend and the patients do not receive their preoperative fluid and energy requirements, which may lead to an increased number of postoperative complications and prolonged hospital stay. A goal of the treatment should be that the preoperative fasting time is kept as short as possible and that the basal fluid and energy requirements are met. An evidence based strategy for this purpose should be created.

SAMMANFATTNING För att möjliggöra öppen hjärtkirurgi används hjärt-lungmaskin som leder blodet i en bana utanför kroppen sammankopplat med kroppscirkulationen. Möjliga komplikationer efter kirurgi med stöd av hjärt-lungmaskin kommer från det centrala nervsystemet och kan ge upphov till kognitiva symtom, dessa komplikationer har ökat sedan 70-talet. Kognitiva nedsättningar kan påverka både patientens livskvalitet och sjukvårdens ekonomi. Risker med att opereras med stöd av hjärt-lungmaskin är embolier, hypoperfusion, anestesi och inflammation. Detaljerad information till patienter som ska genomgå hjärtkirurgi gör dem mer förberedda på eventuella komplikationer. För att som vårdpersonal kunna bemöta och informera dessa patienter krävs kunskap om kognitiva nedsättningar postoperativt. Syftet var att belysa kognitiva förändringar hos patienter som opererats med stöd av hjärt-lungmaskin. Litteraturöversikt genomfördes där alla typer av hjärtkirurgi som utförts med stöd av hjärt-lungmaskin valdes att inkluderas. Originalartiklar på svenska och engelska eftersöktes med åtkomst via "full text", ingen begränsning på publikationsår gjordes. Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar eftersöktes. Sökord som användes var "cardiopulmonary bypass", "heart-lung machine", "cognition disorders", "neurobehavioral manifestations", "patients", "postoperative" och "experience". Databaser som användes var Cinahl, PsycINFO och PubMed. Slutresultatet blev 15 kvantitativa artiklar som granskades enligt mallar från Sophiahemmets högskola. Ingen artikel exkluderades pga. låg kvalitet, sju stycken bedömdes ha medelkvalitet och åtta bedömdes ha hög kvalitet. Artiklarnas resultat analyserades med studiens syfte som utgångspunkt för att sedan sammanfattas och sammanställas till rubriker. Bedömning gällande artiklarnas etiska ställningstagande har gjorts i samtliga inkluderade artiklar. Resultatet visade att kognitiva nedsättningar var vanligt förekommande. Typer som beskrevs var påverkan på minne, koncentration och visuomotorisk konstruktionsförmåga. Depressiva tillstånd beskrevs och även en koppling till nedsatt minne beskrevs. Det var vanligare att utveckla kognitiva nedsättningar med att opereras med stöd av hjärt-lungmaskin än att opereras utan dess stöd. Kognitiva nedsättningar beskrevs upp till fem år efter operation. Det beskrevs också kognitiv försämring som förvärrades efter ett år till tre år efter operation. Hjärt-lungmaskinen visade sig bidra till utveckling av kognitiva nedsättningar där det också framkom att aortatångtid var associerat med kognitiv nedsättning. Risker för att utveckla kognitiva nedsättningar var hög ålder. Kognitiva nedsättningar utgjorde inte ett hinder för arbete eller vardagliga aktiviteter. Kognitiva nedsättningar är förekommande både på kort och på lång sikt efter att ha genomgått hjärtkirurgi med stöd av hjärt-lungmaskin. Att symtom inte alltid är uppenbara, förutom vid tester ställer krav på att vårdpersonal erbjuder den information som krävs inför operation för att förbereda patienten. Då kognitiva symtom kan debutera senare kan detta tolkas som åldringsprocess och etiologin är inte säkerställd. För att kvalitetssäkra vården kring dessa patienter bör vårdpersonal vara uppmärksamma på kognitiva symtom postoperativt. / ABSTRACT To enable open heart surgery, a heart-lung machine is used which carry blood in a path outside the body coupled to the body circulation. Complications after surgery with support of the heart-lung machine may be derived from the central nervous system and can cause cognitive symptoms, these complications have increased since the 70's. Cognitive impairments can affect both patient quality of life and healthcare economics. Risks of surgery with the support of the heart-lung machine are emboli, hypoperfusion, anesthesia and inflammation. Detailed information for patients about to undergo cardiac surgery makes them more prepared for possible complications. For the nursing staff to respond and inform these patients requires knowledge of cognitive impairment postoperatively. The aim was to illuminate the cognitive changes in patients after undergoing cardiac surgery with the support of the heart-lung machine. Literature review was conducted where all types of heart surgery performed with the support of the heart-lung machine was chosen to be included. Original articles in Swedish and English whereabouts with access via the "full text", no restriction in years of publication was made. Keywords used was "Cardiopulmonary Bypass", "heart-lung machine", "cognition disorders", "neurobehavioral manifestations," "patient," "post-operative" and "experience". Databases used were Cinahl, PsycINFO and PubMed. The end result was 15 quantitative articles which underwent examination according to templates from Sophiahemmet University. No article was excluded due to low quality, seven were considered to have medium quality and eight were judged to be of high quality. Articles results were analyzed by the study's aim as a starting point and then summarized and compiled into headlines. Ethical consideration has been made in all included articles. The results showed that cognitive impairments were common. Cognitive impairments described were the impact on memory, concentration and visuoconstruction. Depressive condition was described and even a link to impaired memory was described. It was more common to develop cognitive impairments after undergoing cardiac surgery with the support of the heart-lung machine than to undergo surgery without its support. Cognitive impairment was described up to five years after surgery. It was also described cognitive decline that worsened after one year to three years after surgery. Heart-lung machine was found to contribute to the development of cognitive impairments, which also revealed that aortic cross-clamp duration was associated with cognitive impairment. Risks of developing cognitive impairment were advanced age. Cognitive impairments did not constitute an obstacle for work or everyday activities. Cognitive impairments are common in both the short and long term after undergoing cardiac surgery with the support of the heart-lung machine. That the symptoms are not always obvious, except when testing requires that health professionals provides the information required before surgery to prepare the patient. Cognitive impairments may have a later debut which can be interpreted as the aging process, and the etiology is not assured. In order to assure the quality of care of these patients, health professionals should be alert to the cognitive symptoms postoperatively.