Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal

Background and Objectives: Suction causes complications, such as tachycardia and hypertension due to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system or complications, such as bradycardia and hypotension due to vagal nerve stimulation. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of open endotracheal tube suction with two different sizes of suction catheter on changes of heart rate and blood pressure in patients hospitalized in intensive care unit.

Methods: This clinical trial study was performed as a pretest-posttest study using comparative intervention and random sampling. Thirty-six patients hospitalized in intensive care unit of Yasuj Shahid Beheshti Hospital underwent suction with two catheter sizes of 12 and 14. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate (before, during, and 5 and 20 minutes after the suctioning), was recorded. To compare the amount of changes in heart rate and blood pressure at different stages of suction, repeated measures ANOVAwas used.

Results: In this study, the heart rate increased more during suction with catheter 14 compared to the catheter 12, and the difference was significant (p=0.000). Increase in heart rate up to 20 min after suction, was higher with larger catheter compared to the smaller catheter, and the difference was significant (p=0.000). Systolic blood pressure increased after suction with large catheter, and the difference was significant (p=0.050). The diastolic blood pressure had the highest increase in 5 min after the suction, but there was no significant difference between the two catheter (p=0.186).

Conclusion: The use of small size catheter during suction, causes less increase in heart rate and blood pressure.