Causes analysis and discussion of abdominal distension in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation

Abstract

Objective To investigate causes of abdominal distension in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation, and to explore the related nursing strategies. Methods Totals of 142 patients with invasive mechanical ventilation who were treated in a class Ⅲ grade A hospital in Changsha from October 2015 to October 2016 were enrolled in the study. Retrospective analysis was used to investigate the reasons for concurrent abdominal distension based on the medical records. Results Approximately 34.5% (49/142) patients had concurrent abdominal distension. The univariate analysis showed that the influencing factors included: invasive mechanical ventilation time, blood potassium concentration, cuff pressure, and RASS sedative score (P<0.05) . Multivariable Logistic regression suggested that the risk factors for concurrent abdominal distension included long invasive mechanical ventilation time (≥96 h) and RASS score. High cuff pressure (≥25 cmH2O) was protective factors against abdominal distension. Conclusions The incidence of abdominal distension is relatively higher in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation, which affects their ventilation effect. The related treatment and nursing care should be focused on the influencing factors to reduce the risk of abdominal distension. Key words: Invasive mechanical ventilation; Abdominal distension; Nursing care