ABSTRACT
Endotracheal suctioning is one of the most frequently used methods for airway clearance in patients receiving mechanical ventilation but there are controversial findings regarding its effects on arterial blood gases in mechanically ventilated patients. This study was carried out to determine the effects of endotracheal suctioning on arterial blood gases in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. This research was a before-after open clinical trial study. The subjects consisted of 70 mechanically ventilated patients who were admitted to intensive care units and emergency department of Hazrat-Rasool Hospital in Tehran. Subjects were selected with purposive convenience sampling. The patients received endotracheal suctioning. Arterial blood gases were measured 5 minutes before and 25 minutes after endotracheal suctioning. Data were recorded on the data-recording sheet. Data were analyzed utilizing Wilcoxon and paired t-tests. There were significant differences in the ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen [Pao2/Fio2], Paco2, and arterial oxygen saturation [Sao2] between before and after endotracheal suctioning [p=0.000]. As findings showed that endotracheal suctioning improves arterial blood gases exchanges in patients receiving mechanical ventilation, so performing endotracheal suctioning in mechanically ventilated patients is recommended