Effect of nursing contact on the stress response of patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation.

A prospective, randomized study was undertaken to determine the effect of direct nursing contact on the stress response of patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation. Twenty-six patients being weaned via T-piece for the first time were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. Patients in the experimental group received touch and verbal interaction during weaning whereas the control group did not. Strict control was maintained over the patient's environment during the data collection period, including restriction of all nonessential medical and nursing interventions. No significant increases were found in heart rate or mean arterial pressure in either the control or experimental group during weaning. Respiratory rate 5 minutes after the ventilator was discontinued increased from baseline in both the control (18.0 to 24.4 breaths/min, p = 0.03) and experimental (18.0 to 22.4 breaths/min, p = 0.04) groups. Because both groups had similar responses to weaning, the differences between the groups was nonsignificant and therefore the hypothesis was not supported.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes