Capnography Monitoring in PACU for High Risk Patients

Abstract

The American population is becoming sicker, increasing the risk of respiratory complications such as hypopnea, hypercapnia, aspiration, and apnea in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. These problems may be going undetected too long using the current standard of monitoring. Although the implementation of capnography monitoring may prevent adverse respiratory events in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), its use is not a standard of care. The goal of this project was to increase SRNA knowledge base regarding postoperative respiratory issues for high risk patients recovering in the PACU and that implementation of capnography monitoring in PACU for high risk patients allows for early intervention, prevention of negative respiratory outcomes, and should be a standard of care. A quantitative pre-post test design was used to determine the effectiveness of increasing the knowledge-base of 22 SRNAs using a paired sample t-test with a pre-determined significance level of p < 0.05. There was a significant difference in the pre-test scores M=.42, SD=.17) and post-test scores (M=.80, SD=.13) Conditions; t(21)=(-12.51), p=.000. The primary implication of these results is that the education of SRNAs broadened their knowledge base of post-operative respiratory issues.

Description

Keywords

capnography, respiratory failure, PACU

Citation

DOI