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Improving blood gas control in mechanically ventilated, premature infants through monitoring and evaluation of clinical practice
Author(s) -
Steinmetz Jacob,
Greisen Gorm
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of evaluation in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.737
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2753
pISSN - 1356-1294
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2753.2003.00405.x
Subject(s) - hyperoxia , hypocapnia , medicine , mechanical ventilation , anesthesia , pco2 , guideline , arterial blood , ventilation (architecture) , blood gas analysis , room air distribution , emergency medicine , intensive care medicine , pediatrics , lung , hypercapnia , mechanical engineering , pathology , acidosis , engineering , physics , thermodynamics
Mechanical ventilation causing hypocapnia or hyperoxia carries a risk for the pre‐term infant. The aim was to improve blood gas control in our unit. A guideline was written, and all personnel were motivated concerning blood gas control. Case records of all mechanically ventilated premature infants were examined during two 3‐month periods, before and after intervention. The hours spent with hypocapnia (pCO 2 < 4 kPa) or hyperoxia (pO 2 > 12 kPa) were recorded. Case records of 31 infants were examined for a total of 1358 h of mechanical ventilation, 641 h before and 717 h after the intervention. The percentage time of hypocapnia before intervention (7.0%) was reduced significantly ( P = 0.044) to less than half (2.9%) after intervention. Hyperoxia was reduced from 14.5% to 8.7% ( P = 0.072). Blood gas control of mechanically ventilated premature infants could be improved with little effort, but hyperoxia is too frequent.