Variation of CUFF pressure in serious patients submitted to invasive mechanical ventilation under nursing care in an intensive unit

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the variation in cuff pressure of patients in the intensive care unit, in the bed bath, aspiration of the lower airways and in the decubitus change, and to build an assistance protocol for checking the cuff pressure. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory, and experimental study, with a quantitative approach, where data collection took place in March 2020, in a public hospital in the municipality of Cabo Frio. Data collection was performed using a collection instrument and to check the cuff pressure, a hand-held cuffometer was used, enabling the measurement in mmHg. After the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 patients were selected. When analyzing the Pcuff variation during the procedures performed by the Nursing team, the occurrence of changes was frequent, the most significant being after the bed bath. In view of the above, this study contributes to subsidize data for the implementation of care directed to intubated patients, based on actions that ensure patient safety, such as the routine of daily measurements and the training of the assistance team. Thus, protecting the patient from important complications that may be associated with the hyperinflation and hypoinflation of this device.