The effect of endotracheal suctioning in-service education on patient's oxygen saturation and heart rate chan ges in intensive care unit

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of endotracheal suctioning in-service education on the patients’ blood oxygen saturation and heart rate changes in intensive care unit. One of the basic steps in caring and maintaining the airway is endotracheal suctioning. If this procedure is not performed with proper technique، it will be associated with many complications. This study is an outcomes research performed in medical intensive care unit of Hazrate-Rasool Hospital in 2010. All nurses working in intensive care unit and all performed endotracheal suctioning cases in a period of two weeks before and after in-service education were selected as research sample. Therefore، it is necessary to provide in-service education programs in relation to nurses'' attention to the hemodynamic changes and to minimize these changes، and thereby to protect life and safety in critically ill patients. The results showed mean arterial oxygen saturation decreased significantly (p =0. 005) in the first and third minutes post-suctioning before conducting in-service education. Besides، the results showed the mean arterial oxygen saturation increased significantly (p≤0. 001) in the first and third minutes post-suctioning after conducting in-service education. Also، mean heart rate increased significantly (p≤0. 001) in the first and third minutes post-suctioning before conducting in-service education. The mean heart rate increased significantly (p≤0. 001) in the first minute post-suctioning after conducting in-service education، but in third minute post-suctioning this difference was not significant. The research findings show significant changes in blood oxygen saturation and heart rate post-endotracheal suctioning. These changes are an important complication in critically ill patients and can be life-threatening particularly.