Identification of warning signs for prevention of in-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest

• Published in: Revista latino-americana de enfermagem 2019-01, Vol.27
• Main Authors: Souza, Beatriz Tessorolo, Lopes, Maria Carolina Barbosa Teixeira, Okuno, Meiry Fernanda Pinto, Batista, Ruth Ester Assayag, Góis, Aécio Flávio Teixeira de, Campanharo, Cássia Regina Vancini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute coronary syndromes; Cardiopulmonary Arrest; Emergency Nursing; Heart rate; Hospital Care; NURSING; Original; Quantitative Research; Secondary Prevention; Vital Signs
• ISSN: 1518-8345; 0104-1169; 1518-8345
• DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.2853.3072

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the occurrence of warning signs and changes in vital signs in individuals who experienced in-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest and correlate them with the occurrence of this event. Method: this is a retrospective, analytical and quantitative study that included 218 medical records of patients who suffered in-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest and identified warning signs and alterations in vital signs. Mean, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum values were calculated for the continuous variables, and frequency and percentage for the categorical variables. We compared the age and occurrence of cardiorespiratory arrest with the occurrence of warning signs using the Chi-Square Test and the Mann Whitney non-parametric test (p-value < 0.05). Results: 62.1% of the patients presented signs and symptoms of shock, 44.9% of neurological alteration, 40.4% of malaise, 15.2% presented signs suggestive of acute coronary syndrome, and 25.9% presented mental confusion. In the last measurement of vital signs before cardiorespiratory arrest, the majority of patients had altered abnormal (32.6%) and severely abnormal (23.9%) heart rate, and abnormal (37.1%) and severely abnormal (27.0%) respiratory rate. Conclusion: the warning signs identified were: shock, neurological signs, malaise and acute coronary syndrome. The prevalent changes in vital signs were: heart rate, respiratory rate and O2 saturation. Patients with severely abnormal systolic blood pressure were not discharged and those with abnormal respiratory rate did not survive 6 months after cardiorespiratory arrest. RESUMEN Objetivo: identificar la presencia de señales de alerta y alteraciones en los signos vitales en individuos con parada cardiorrespiratoria intrahospitalaria y correlacionarlos a la ocurrencia de ese evento. Método: estudio retrospectivo, analítico y cuantitativo que incluyó 218 prontuarios de pacientes que sufrieron paro cardiorrespiratorio intrahospitalario e identificados signos de alerta y alteraciones en los signos vitales. Para variables continuas, se calculó la media, desviación estándar, mediana, mínima y máxima; para las categóricas, se calculó la frecuencia y el porcentaje. Se comparó la edad y ocurrencia de parada cardiorrespiratoria con ocurrencia de señales de alerta por el Test Chi-cuadrado y Test no paramétrico de MannWhitney (p-valor