Abstract
Electrodermal activity (EDA) is considered a measure of autonomous nervous system activity. This study performed an exploratory analysis of the EDA changes during blood pooling for arterial blood gas analysis in sedated adult critical care patients and correlated the variations to other monitored parameters. EDA, along with other parameters, were monitored during 4 h routine daytime intensive care nursing and treatment in an adult ICU. 4 h measurements were divided into two groups based upon the sedation level. Selected recordings before and after blood pooling for arterial blood gases analysis (stress event) was performed. Nine stress events from Group A and 17 from Group B were included for further analysis. Patients’ demographics, laboratory exams, and severity scores were recorded. For both sedation levels, EDA changes are much greater than any other monitoring parameters used. The changes are noticed in both measurement (15 s and 60 s), even though in the 60 s measurement only selected EDA parameters are significantly changed after the start of the procedure. EDA measurements are more sensitive to a given stress event than cardiovascular or respiratory parameters. However, the present results could only be considered as a pilot study. More studies are needed in order to identify the real stress-load and clinical significance of such stimuli, which are considered otherwise painless in those patients.
Highlights
Arterial blood gas measurements (ABGs) are ordered as part of the regular clinical assessment of critically ill patients
All measurements were conducted on white Caucasian patients
All measurements were conducted on white Caucasian patient and both groups were similar in age, weight, and body mass index (BMI)
Summary
Arterial blood gas measurements (ABGs) are ordered as part of the regular clinical assessment of critically ill patients. They are the most common tests performed in an intensive care unit (ICU). The procedure is unpleasant and stressful for the wards’ patients, the existence of an arterial line in situ in most ICU patients facilitates the exam, as it is assumed to be painless. That may explain the lack of literature about the assessment of the procedure as a stress-load event. It is known that sweating on the palm may be elicited by emotional, physiological, and stressful stimuli [1]. Central innervations of sweat gland activity point to several
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