How the icu nursing analyzes the need for secretion aspiration of the intratracheal tube - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v7i4.6660

Abstract

This is an exploratory and descriptive study, of qualitative approach, carried out in the ICU of a public hospital of Santa Catarina – Brazil. The objective was to identify how the ICU Nursing team evaluated the need of aspiration of secretions from the intratracheal tube in the hospitalized patients. The sampling consisted of 22 professionals. Data was collected by means of commentary and focused interview. The results disclosed that 74% of the nurses did not follow the pre-established schedule for intratracheal aspiration; 70% adopted the oxygen saturation as a parameter for aspiration; 96% executed the aspiration in the presence of adventitious respiratory sounds and secretion evidence in intratracheal tube and; 87% did not request the presence and/or evaluation of the nurse to accomplish the procedure. The results point to the need of an education program on secretion aspiration for the ICU nursing team, to ensure that the aspiration of secretion from the intratracheal tube in the hospitalized patients is performed adequately and only when it is necessary, to avoid complications.