Contributors to fatigue in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support: A descriptive correlational study. Issue 5 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chlan, Linda L.; Savik, Kay
• Is Part Of: Intensive and critical care nursing. Volume 31:Issue 5(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 303
• Page End: 308
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Intensive care nursing -- Periodicals; Critical Illness -- nursing -- Periodicals; Intensive Care -- Periodicals; Nursing Care -- Periodicals; Intensive care nursing; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.028
• DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2015.04.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-3397

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Summary</title> <sec> <title id="sect0010">Objectives</title> <p id="spar0005">To describe levels of fatigue and explore clinical factors that might contribute to fatigue in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0015">Research methodology/design</title> <p id="spar0010">Descriptive, correlational design. Sample was a sub-set of patients enrolled in a randomised clinical trial testing patient-directed music for anxiety self-management. Clinical factors included age, gender, length of ICU stay, length of ventilatory support, illness severity (APACHE III), and sedative exposure (sedation intensity and frequency). Descriptive statistics and mixed models were used to address the study objectives.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0020">Setting</title> <p id="spar0015">Medical and surgical intensive care units in the Midwestern United States.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0025">Main outcome measures</title> <p id="spar0020">Fatigue was measured daily via a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale, up to 25 days.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0030">Results</title> <p id="spar0025">A sample of 80 patients (50% female) receiving ventilatory support for a median 7.9 days (range 1–46) with a mean age of 61.2 years (<italic>SD</italic> 14.8) provided daily fatigue ratings. ICU admission APACHE III was 61.5 (<italic>SD</italic> 19.8). Baseline mean fatigue ratings were 60.7 (<italic>SD</italic> 27.9), with fluctuations over time indicating a general trend upward. Mixed models analysis implicated illness severity (<italic>β</italic>(se(<italic>β</italic>)) = .27(.12)) and sedation frequency (<italic>β</italic>(se(<italic>β</italic>)) = 1.2(.52)) as significant contributors to fatigue ratings.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0035">Conclusion</title> <p id="spar0030">Illness severity and more frequent sedative administration were related to higher fatigue ratings in these mechanically ventilated patients.</p> </sec> </abstract>