Consensus among physiotherapists in the united kingdom on the use of normal saline instillation prior to endotracheal suction: a Delphi study

Efficacy of instilled saline in conjunction with chest physiotherapy on secretion clearance in adults diagnosed with a ventilator acquired pneumonia: a randomised crossover feasibility trial

INTRODUCTION

Chest physiotherapy is routinely provided to mechanically ventilated (MV) patients in intensive care units (ICUs) to aid secretion clearance. Physiotherapists may instil saline down the endotracheal tube to aid secretion clearance. However, there is limited evidence and no UK guidelines on the use of saline instillation (SI).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the feasibility of a definitive trial examining the efficacy of SI during chest physiotherapy on secretion yield in patients with ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP).

METHODS

A randomised crossover feasibility trial was performed on patients with VAP at a large UK ICU. Patients underwent twice daily chest physiotherapy sessions, alternating between SI vs. Non-SI for three days or until extubation. Primary outcomes were feasibility measures: recruitment, retention, and protocol fidelity. Secondary outcomes included safety outcomes and secretion yield, assessed using two approaches: "adjusted wet sputum weight" and "sputum pellet weight".

RESULTS

Of 32 eligible patients, 94% (N = 30) were recruited, of whom 7% (N = 2) were subsequently withdrawn; 21 (70%) completed all six sessions. No adverse events occurred in SI sessions. The adjusted wet sputum weight appeared to underestimate secretion yield in SI sessions, resulting in a negative median value (-0.49 g; IQR: -2.39, 1.11), which was significantly lower than Non-SI sessions (median: 0.99 g; IQR: 0.26, 2.11; p < 0.001). Analysis using sputum pellet weight reversed the direction of this effect, with medians of 3.49 g (IQR: 1.96, 5.55) vs. 1.70 g (IQR: 0.99, 2.60) for SI vs. non-SI sessions (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A trial of SI during chest physiotherapy for MV patients with VAP would be feasible. However, further validation of a method for processing sputum samples is required before proceeding to a definitive trial. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER.

Expert consensus for respiratory physiotherapy management of mechanically ventilated adults with community-acquired pneumonia: A Delphi study

RATIONALE AND AIMS

Patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are frequently admitted to an intensive care unit. Physiotherapy may be provided to optimize respiratory function; however, there is significant variability in clinical practice and limited research directing best practice for this cohort. This study aimed to determine expert consensus for best physiotherapy practice for invasively ventilated adults with CAP.

METHOD

A modified Delphi technique involved an international expert panel completing three rounds of an online questionnaire. The initial 35-statement questionnaire, based on a systematic literature review and survey of current clinical practice, covered physiotherapy assessment and treatment of intubated patients with CAP. Quantitative data using Likert scales determined level of agreement, with qualitative data collected through open-ended responses. Consensus threshold was set a priori at 70%. Items not achieving consensus were modified and new items added based on themes from qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, with thematic analysis used on qualitative data.

RESULTS

The panel comprised 29 international clinical and academic experts in critical care physiotherapy. Response rate was more than 95% for each round. Outcome achieved was 38 consensus statements covering assessment and treatment, with 28 statements (74%) providing consensus on recommended clinical practice, two consensus disagreement statements (7%) for what practice is not recommended, and eight statements (21%) indicating which treatments may be beneficial.

CONCLUSION

Expert consensus regarding physiotherapy for intubated adults with CAP patients provides an evidence-based approach to guide clinical practice. The consensus statements can also be used to guide research evaluating physiotherapy interventions for patients with CAP.

Normal saline instillation before endotracheal suctioning: "What does the evidence say? What do the nurses think?": Multimethod study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to systematically review studies that investigated the effects of normal saline instillation before endotracheal suctioning and to determine the views of nurses concerning this procedure.

METHODS

This study was carried out in 2 stages as a systematic review and a descriptive study. In the first stage, the Medline and CINAHL databases were searched. The second stage of the study consisted of a survey of 65 intensive care nurses.

RESULTS

The systematic review identified 7 studies. Nearly all of the studies had a self-controlled clinical trial design. Normal saline instillation before endotracheal suctioning was demonstrated to decrease patient oxygenation in most studies (P < .05). However, the impact of normal saline on hemodynamics and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia remain unclear. Most nurses (87.7%) apply normal saline instillation.

CONCLUSION

Although the effects of normal saline instillation on hemodynamics and pneumonia incidence remain controversial, this procedure significantly decreases the oxygenation. Therefore, the use of this procedure is not recommended. However, normal saline instillation is used frequently by nurses to manage thick and tenacious secretions in clinical practice. Additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of applications that may be alternatives to normal saline instillation in the management of these secretions.