Accidental withdrawal of tubes, sounds and catheters

Objective

To determine accidental withdrawal (AW) of tubes, sounds and catheters.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

A 20-bed medical-surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Patients

All patients admitted in ICU from 1-5-2000 to 31-10-2000.

Results

253 patients were admitted (64.03% males). Mean age was 57.64 ± 16.71 years. APACHE-II was 12.48 ± 5.52. Mortality was 15.81%. Patients distribution was: 48% cardiac surgery, 14% cardiologic, 10% neurologic, 8% traumathology, 7% pulmonary, 6% digestive and 7% others. Patients need the following monitoring: 88.14% orotracheal tube (OT), 99.20% central venous catheter (CVC), 26.87% drum catheter (DC), 67.98% internal yugular vein catheter (IYVC), 34.38% subclavian vein catheter (SVC), 16.14% femoral vein catheter (FVC), 91.69% artery catheter (AC), 86.95% radial artery catheter (RAC), 13.83% femoral artery catheter (FAC), 91.69% nasogastrical sounds (NGS), 96.09% vesical sound (VS), 48.22% epicardial temporary pacemaker electrode (ETPE), 2.76% intraaortic balloon counter pulsation catheter (IABC), 54.54% thoracic drainage tube (TDT), 8.30% abdominal drainage tube (ADT) and 6.71% intracraneal pressure catheter (IPC).

Conclusions

This study permit to know our current levels of accidental withdrawals and comparing them with other ICU and with our results in the future.

Table 1