THE EFFECTS OF CHEST VIBRATION PRIOR TO ENDOTRACHEAL SUCTIONING ON OXYGEN SATURATION, HEART RATE AND SPUTUMIN PREMATURE INFANTS WITH RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME.
Contributors: University of Pittsburgh.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 214
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery.
Description: Prematurity is the main cause for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in neonates. The goal in the treatment of RDS is to maintain respiration with adequate oxygenation. Chest vibration (CV) prior to endotracheal suctioning (ETS) has been arbitrarily applied to ventilated preamture infants without the scientific evaluation of its safety and efficacy.

A repeated measures within subjects quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of CV prior to ETS on the oxygen saturation, HR and sputum in twenty premature infants with RDS. Independent variable was the type of the ETS protocol determined by the absence of CV (ETSO) or the presence of CV prior to ETS (ETSCV). Dependent variables were oxygen saturation (SpO$\sb2)$ and HR, measured by a pulse oximeter, the amount of sputum, measured by a balance scale, and the cytological components of sputum, measured through microscopy observation and analyzed semi-quantitatively. The cytological components of sputum consisted of columnar cells, metaplastic cells, dysplastic cells, and macrophages as cellular components, and Curschmann's spirals as non-cellular components of sputum in premature infants with RDS.

The results showed there was no difference in the SpO$\sb2$ and HR responses between ETSO and ETSCV. There was a significant increase in the amount of sputum retrieved during ETSCV, compared to ETSO. There was no difference in the numbers of the cellular components of sputum (columnar cells, metaplastic cells, dysplastic cells and macrophages) between ETSO and ETSCV. However, there was a significant increase in the number of Curschmann's spirals of non-cellular components in the sputum retrieved during ETSCV, compared to ETSO. These non-cellular components may serve as an indicator of airway obstruction. This study suggested the safety of CV by demonstrating no changes in oxygen saturation, HR, and the number of cellular components of sputum between ETSO and ETSCV. The efficacy of CV could be supported by the increases in the amount of sputum, and Curschmann's spirals of sputum during ETS with CV compared to ETS without CV in premature infants with RDS.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-12, Section: B, page: 7448.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, 1996.

School code: 0178.