Physiological abnormalities and adverse events during physical therapy in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery: A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: After cardiac surgery, physiological abnormalities or adverse events might occur in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) during physical therapy care. Identifying these events may help improve patient safety and care. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence and the degree of severity of physiological abnormalities or adverse events during physical therapy interventions provided in the ICU after cardiac surgery. To explore the relationship between these events and patients' characteristics and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Prospective observational study of adult patients in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery admitted to the ICU of a referenced university hospital. Physical therapy interventions were observed by a team trained to evaluate and register the occurrence of physiological abnormalities or adverse events and grading their consequences. We compared baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients with versus without these events. RESULTS: We observed 935 physical therapy interventions in 323 patients, of which 189 (20%, 95% confidence interval: 18, 23%) resulted in physiological abnormalities or adverse events. The highest incidences of these events were observed during endotracheal suctioning (44%), walking (40%), and noninvasive ventilation (37%). Hemodynamic changes were the most frequent events accounting for 74% of all events. Only 2% of interventions resulted in mild harm and 0.2% in moderate harm. The presence of comorbidities was associated (p = 0.03) with the occurrence of these events. CONCLUSION: Physiological abnormalities or adverse events occurred in 20% of physical therapy interventions in patients in the ICU after cardiac surgery, with 10% of those resulting in negative effects. Only the presence of comorbidities was associated with the occurrence of these events.

Efeito da posiçäo de Trendelemburg sobre o estado hemodinâmico e a saturaçäo de oxigênio / Effect of the Trendelemburg position on hemodinamic state and the oxygen saturation

Vinte pacientes em pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca foram estudados com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos da posiçäo de Trendelemburg sobre o estado hemodinâmico e a saturaçäo de oxigênio. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos. No subgrupo A os pacientes estavam sob ventilaçäo mecânica, recebendo drogas vasoativas; no subgrupo B estavam respirando espontaneamente, sem uso de drogas vasoativas. Foram realizadas medidas hemodinâmicas e da saturaçäo de oxigênio (SaO2) em todos os pacientes nas posiçöes de decúbito dorsal e Trendelemburg. Os resultados obtidos comparados e analisados estatisticamente, demonstraram näo haver alteraçöes significativas nos parâmetros avaliados em ambos os grupos