Abstract
Physiotherapists are part of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) team, although their role varies. In Brazil, they participate in endotracheal tube (ETT) management. Artificial airway management is an important part of routine ICU patient care. However, there are few studies about this subject.
Objectives were to find out: if ICU staff registered the measured mark of ETT at the lips (ETT mark); if registry was in accordance with real ETT mark; if a specific field for ETT mark registry influenced the filling of patient's file; and if ETT tip distance from carina (ETT-carina distance) was correct according to thorax radiography.
199 cases of patients intubated for over 24 hours, from seven ICUs of Clinical Hospital of Medicine School of University of São Paulo, were included. Data observed: ETT mark, ETT-carina distance, ETT mark registry at patient's files.
We found that there was no ETT mark registry neither on medical nor nursing records. Physiotherapists registered it in 55.8% of the cases. ETT mark registry was in accordance with observed in 82 cases (73.9%). Among the cases in which ETT mark was not registered, in most of them (72%) there was not a specific field. ETT-carina distance was correct (from 2.5 to 4.0 cm) in 60.8% of the cases.
In the ICUs analyzed, only physiotherapists registered ETT mark. In an expressive percentage (44.2%) there was no registry of this important information at all. The presence of a specific field may have positively influenced the filling of patient's files. In a significant number of cases (39.2%) ETT-carina distance was incorrect, propitiating risk for intubated ICU patients. Perhaps ETT positioning has not been given the necessary attention.
- © 2011 ERS