Proper Placement of Tubes on Chest Radiographs.

A variety of tubes are placed by the advanced practice provider including endotracheal tubes, nasogastric tubes, feeding tubes, and chest tubes. Recognizing the proper placement of these tubes is critical to prevent complications and allow for intended use including ventilation, nasogastric drainage, providing enteral nutrition, and drainage of air or fluid from the pleural space. The advanced practice provider must be aware of the anatomical landmarks that help indicate correct positioning for safe use and proper functioning of these tubes. This article will discuss how to assess for proper placement of endotracheal, nasogastric, and chest tubes.

Comunicação com pacientes intubados em ambiente de pronto atendimento: revisão de literatura / Communication with intubated patients in emergency care environment: literature review / Comunicación con pacientes intubados en un servicio de urgencias: revisión de la literatura

Introdução: A intubação orotraqueal impossibilita a comunicação verbal. Objetivo: Apresentar formas de comunicação com pacientes que se acham incapazes de se expressar verbalmente em unidade de pronto atendimento. Método: Revisão bibliográfica realizada no período de maio a julho de 2020, com restrição de idioma somente em português, mas sem restrição para o tipo de estudo, guiado pelos descritores: comunicação, intubação, traqueostomia e sedação. Foram encontradas e feito uma síntese das nove pesquisas sobre formas de comunicação não verbal em pacientes incapazes ou com dificuldade de se comunicar verbalmente. Resultados: Diversos recursos podem ser usados na comunicação não verbal, tais como lousa mágica, cartões ilustrativos ou com figuras, com as letras do alfabeto ou indicações das principais necessidades ou solicitações do paciente. É fundamental dialogar e estabelecer uma boa comunicação com o paciente mesmo que ele se encontre incapaz de se expressar verbalmente, criando alternativas por meio de comunicação não verbal, especialmente em ambientes de pronto atendimento, onde geralmente encontram-se pacientes com a comunicação verbal interrompida ou prejudicada, seja pela presença de tubo orotraqueal, traqueostomia ou por sedação. Conclusão: Ressalta-se a necessidade e importância do vínculo entre paciente e equipe pela comunicação não verbal, pois a conexão estabelecida tende a conduzir a um tratamento mais adequado e humanizado.(AU)

Introduction: The orotracheal intubation prevents verbal communication. Objective: To present forms of communication with patients who are unable to express themselves verbally in an emergency care unit. Method: Bibliographic review conducted from May to July 2020, with language restriction only in Portuguese, but without restriction for the type of study, guided by the descriptors: communication, intubation, tracheostomy and sedation. A summary of the nine researches on forms of nonverbal communication was found and performed in patients who were unable or who had difficulty communicating verbally. Results: Several resources can be used in non-verbal communication, such as magic whiteboard, illustrative cards or with figures, with letters of the alphabet or indications of the main needs or requests of the patient. It is essential to dialogue and establish good communication with the patient even if he is unable to express himself verbally, creating alternatives through non-verbal communication, especially in emergency care environments, where they usually findif patients with verbal communication interrupted or impaired, either by the presence of orotracheal tube, tracheostomy or by sedation. Conclusion: It is emphasized the need and importance of the link between patient and team by non-verbal communication, because the established connection tends to lead to a more appropriate and humanized treatment.(AU)

Introducción: La intubación orotraqueal imposibilita la comunicación verbal. Objetivo: Presentar formas de comunicación con pacientes que no pueden expresarse verbalmente en salas de emergencia. Método: Revisión de la literatura realizada de mayo a julio de 2020, con restricción de idioma solo en portugués, pero sin restricción para el tipo de estudio, guiada por los descriptores: comunicación, intubación, traqueotomía y sedación. Se encontró y realizó una síntesis de los nueve estudios sobre formas de comunicación no verbal en pacientes que no pueden o tienen dificultad para comunicarse verbalmente. Resultados: En la comunicación no verbal se pueden utilizar varios recursos, como una pizarra mágica, tarjetas ilustrativas o con imágenes, con las letras del alfabeto o indicaciones de las principales necesidades o peticiones del paciente. Es fundamental dialogar y establecer una buena comunicación con el paciente aunque no pueda expresarse verbalmente, creando alternativas a través de la comunicación no verbal, especialmente en los entornos de atención de urgencias, donde los pacientes suelen encontrarse con la comunicación verbal interrumpida o deteriorada, ya sea por la presencia de un tubo orotraqueal, traqueotomía o por sedación. Conclusión: Se enfatiza la importancia e importancia del vínculo entre paciente y equipo a través de la comunicación no verbal, ya que la conexión tiende a conducir a un tratamiento más adecuado y humanizado.(AU)

Use of a clinical assessment tool for orally intubated patients.

BACKGROUND: Although oral hygiene is difficult to perform in orally intubated, critically ill patients, oropharyngeal status may be related to acquisition of nosocomial organisms and should therefore be addressed. OBJECTIVE: To develop a clinical tool for assessment of the mouth in orally intubated patients. METHODS: Sixteen orally intubated patients from one surgical and one medical intensive care unit were subjects. Demographic, clinical, and baseline oropharyngeal assessment data, including sputum and mouth cultures, were obtained on patient admission to the study and every other day. RESULTS: Oropharyngeal cultures of four subjects grew nosocomial bacterial organisms and of two subjects, fungal species. These same organisms were cultured from sputum specimens. Seven patients displayed severe xerostomia; 10 lip lesions were identified in nine subjects, 8 tongue lesions in nine subjects, and 8 mucosal lesions in nine subjects. CONCLUSION: Systemic oropharyngeal assessment in critically ill orally intubated patients may prevent more serious oropharyngeal infections.

Case study: a system for stabilizing percutaneous tubes.

It is necessary to stabilize percutaneous tubes to prevent skin irritation and leakage. A stabilizing system was created using a drain tube attachment device and a urostomy pouching system. The system prevents tube movement and leakage, and provides a skin barrier. A case study is presented that illustrates the use of the system. The attachment and pouching system stabilized the tube and prevented leakage while being simple to use for patient and caregiver. The patient was able to ambulate and dress normally using the system upon discharge.

Difficult intubation: are you prepared for it?

The endotracheal intubation of a patient for surgery requires an anaesthetist who is aided by a skilled and experienced helper. This paper explores reasons why some patients are difficult to intubate. Some are predictable on pre-operative assessment and others are not. Suggestions are given on how the helper is useful to the anaesthetist in this potentially critical situation.

Eventos adversos relacionados à sondaenteral: revisão integrativa / Eventos adversos relacionados a las sondas enterales: revisión integrativa / Adverse events involving enteral tubes: an integrative review

Objetivo conhecer os eventos adversos relacionados à inserção, manutenção e remoção de sonda enteral descritos na literatura. Método trata-se de uma revisão integrativa de literatura. A estratégia PICO foi utilizada para formulação da questão norteadora. Foram selecionados artigos das bases PubMed, Embase e Scopus, publicados entre junho de 2009 e junho de 2019, nas línguas portuguesa, espanhola e inglesa. Resultados foram incluídos 45 estudos, categorizados em eventos adversos relacionados à inserção da sonda enteral (n=22) que promoveram danos como epistaxe por lesão até a inserção de sonda no átrio direito; eventos relativos à manutenção da sonda e/ou administração de dieta (n=14), como a infusão de dieta em sítio pulmonar; e aqueles ocorridos na remoção (n=9), como emaranhado na ponta distal. Conclusão diferentes eventos adversos descritos na literatura podem ocorrer na inserção, manutenção, administração de dieta e remoção da sonda enteral.

Objetivo conocer los eventos adversos relacionados a la inserción, manutención y remoción de una sonda enteral descritos en la literatura. Método esa es una revisión integrativa de la literatura. Se utilizó a la estrategia PICO para formular la pregunta rectora. Se seleccionó artículos de las bases PubMed, Embase y Scopus publicados de junio de 2009 hasta julio de 2019 en portugués, español e inglés. Resultados se incluyó 45 estudios y se les categorizó como eventos adversos relacionados a la inserción de la sonda enteral (n=22) y que causaron daños como epistaxis por lesión e inserción de la sonda en la aurícula derecha; eventos relacionados a la manutención de la sonda y/o la administración de dieta (n=14), como la infusión de la dieta en sitio pulmonar; y eventos relacionados a la remoción de la sonda (n=9), como el enmarañamiento del extremo distal de la sonda. Conclusión diversos eventos adversos descritos en la literatura pueden ocurrir en la inserción, manutención, administración de dieta y remoción de la sonda enteral.

Objective surveying scientific literature with regards to adverse events related to the insertion, maintenance, and removal of enteral tubes. Method this is an integrative literature review. The PICO strategy was used to elaborate the guiding question. This research reviewed articles published from June 2009 to July 2019 in Portuguese, Spanish and English, in the databases PubMed, Embase and Scopus. Results 45 studies were included and categorized as adverse events involving enteral tubes related to the insertion of the tube (n=22), which caused damage such as epistaxis caused by lesion and insertion of the tube in the right-side atrium; events related to the maintenance of the tube and/or administration of the diet (n=14), such as infusing the diet into the lungs; and those related to tube removal (n=9), such as entanglements in the distal end. Conclusion different adverse events described in literature can take place during the insertion, maintenance, diet administration, and removal of the enteral tube.

Discovery of unexpected pain in intubated and sedated patients.

BACKGROUND: The perceptions of patients who are restrained and sedated while being treated with mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit are not well understood. The effectiveness of sedation used to aid in recovery and enhance comfort during intubation is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceptions of patients who were intubated and receiving pain medication while sedated and restrained in the intensive care unit, in particular, their experience and their memories of the experience. METHODS: In a phenomenological study, 14 patients who were intubated and receiving pain medication while sedated and restrained were interviewed at the bedside. A semistructured interview guide was used. Data were analyzed by using an inductive method consistent with qualitative research. RESULTS: Three major themes were identified from the data: lack of memory of being restrained; a perception of being intubated as horrific; nursing behaviors that were helpful and comforting. An unexpected discovery was that sedation may be interfering with pain assessment and management. CONCLUSION: Being intubated can be painful and traumatic despite administration of sedatives and analgesics. Sedation may mask uncontrolled pain for intubated patients and prevent them from communicating this condition to a nurse. Nurses may need to evaluate current interventions in order to provide maximum comfort and promote optimal positive outcomes for intensive care patients who are intubated.

Reevaluation of the critical-care pain observation tool in intubated adults after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pain assessment in critically ill patients who are intubated, sedated, and unable to verbalize their needs remains a challenge. No universally accepted pain assessment tool is used in all intensive care units. OBJECTIVES: To examine concurrent validation of scores on the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool for a painful and a non-painful procedure and to examine interrater reliability of the scores between 2 nurse raters. METHODS: A prospective, repeated-measures within-subject design was used. A convenience sample of 35 patients was recruited to achieve enrollment of 30 patients during a 5-month period. Observational data were collected on patients intubated after cardiac surgery during routine turning and during dressing changes for central catheters. RESULTS: Raters' mean scores did not increase significantly during dressing changes (increase, +0.25; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.57; P = .12) but did increase significantly during turning (increase, +3.04; 95% CI 2.11-3.98; P < .001). The degree to which mean scores increased was significantly greater during turning than during dressing changes (increase, +2.80; 95% CI, 1.84-3.75; P < .001). The Fleiss-Cohen weighted κ for the inter-rater reliability of the ratings of research nurses was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79-0.94). CONCLUSION: The results support previous research investigations on validity and reliability of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool for evaluating pain in intubated, critically ill adults.

A nurse's experience being intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation.

A nurse with a history of childhood asthma describes her experiences with intubation and mechanical ventilation. It is important for nurses to recognize that mechanical ventilation is very stressful for patients and for the patients' families. It is essential for nurses to keep the patient as the focus of their care. A key part of that focus is to reorient patients who are receiving mechanical ventilation frequently.