Best-Practice Interventions: How Can You Prevent Endotracheal Suctioning Associated Complications?

This study was carried out to determine the effect of the duration of hyperoxygenation before endotracheal suctioning is the heart rate and oxygen saturation of the patients admitted to the intensive care unit. In this experimental intervention, 42 eligible patients admitted to intensive care units, which were mechanically ventilated, were divided into two groups. In the first group, pre-oxygenation was performed for 1 minute and in the second group was performed 2 minutes before internal suction, and then both groups were subjected to tracheal suctioning. Data were analyzed using various analysis tests with repeated measurements and independent T-tests. The results indicated that the one-minute pre-oxygenation increased the mean oxygen saturation, compared to 5 minutes before suction and during suction, and immediately after suction, there was a significant difference in this increase (p = 0.000). Also, the two-minute pre-oxygenation increased the mean oxygen saturation, which is statistically significant (p = 0.000) compared to other suctioning stages. The result of the ANOVA test showed no significant difference in mean heart rate changes at different stages of suction in the two groups. The results of this study showed that not only does oxygen injection of 100% to the patient one minute and two minutes before and one minute after intestinal suction prevent the loss of arterial oxygen saturation after suction, but it also increases it compared to before suctioning.

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