Prevalence of respiratory nursing diagnoses in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Abstract

To identify the prevalence of the nursing diagnoses: Ineffectivebreathing pattern (IBP), Impaired gas exchange (IGE) and, Impaired spontaneous ventilation (ISV) and their clinical indicators in newborns admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. This is a cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach,carried out with 154 newborns. The data were collected through gasometry inspection and assessment. For the analysis, the tests used were: Pearson’s Chi-Square test and Fisher’s Exact test. The diagnoses presented high prevalence: ISV 94.2%; IGE 88.3% and, IBP 87.7%. Dyspnea and Increase in accessory muscle use were the most prevalent clinical indicators for ISV and IBP. For IGE, they were Dyspnea and Abnormal skin color. The association showed a significant correlation for few prevalent indicators: dyspnea, decrease in partial pressure of oxygen/hypoxemia, increase in accessory muscle use, abnormal breathing pattern, tachypnea, bradypnea, a decreasein carbon dioxide and, arterial blood gases. ISV, IGE, andIBP were highly prevalent in newborns of Intensive Care Units.