Abstract

SLAVE, M; SCRIBANTE, J; PERRIE, H  and  LAMBAT, F. Carbon dioxide levels of ventilated adult critically ill post-operative patients on arrival at the intensive care unit. South. Afr. j. crit. care (Online) [online]. 2023, vol.39, n.1, pp.13-18. ISSN 2078-676X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/SAJCC.2023.v39i1.655.

BACKGROUND: The transportation of critically ill patients presents a precarious situation in which adverse events may occur. At Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) patients were manually ventilated using a manual resuscitator bag during transportation from theatre to the intensive care unit (ICU OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) levels of ventilated adult critically ill post-operative patients on arrival at the ICU at CHBAH METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling. Pre- and post-transportation arterial blood gases were obtained from 47 patients RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the pre- and post-transport PaCO₂ level (p=0.03), with a mean difference of 3.3 mmHg. The pre- and post-transport arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) level (p<0.001) and the week and weekend pre-transport (p<0.001) and post-transport (p=0.01) PaCO₂ were statistically significantly different. No statistically significant difference was found in the other arterial blood gas parameters or in the post-transport PaCO₂ of those patients (26 (55.3%)), who received a neuromuscular blocking drug compared with those that did not. Adverse events were noted during 12 (25.6%) of the transports, 5 (41.7%) of which were patient-related, and 7 (58.3%) of which were infrastructure-related CONCLUSION: There was a statistically but not clinically significant difference in the pre- and post-transport PaCO₂ level and between week and weekend transportations. Hypercarbia was the most common derangement in all transports. Adverse events occurred during one-quarter of transportations

Keywords : manual resuscitation bag ventilation; transportation of critically ill patients; carbon dioxide levels.

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