Bed bath in intensive care unit: Implications to nursing care

33^rd Euro Nursing & Medicare Summit

October 08-10, 2018 | Edinburgh, Scotland

Aretha Oliveira

National Cancer Institute, Brazil

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Adv Practice Nurs

Abstract :

The hospital environment aims at care for people with health disorders, who have specific needs. This service is delivered by professionals in various sectors within specific health units. Seriously ill patients need more specialized environments, which can guarantee the preservation of vital organ functioning and maintained clinical stability. In Brazil, two techniques to perform the bed bath are normally used: the traditional bath, using water and soap, and, in smaller scale, the disposable bath. Regardless the technique used, it is necessary to turn the patient from side to side to perform the complete body hygiene, and this is a possible way to modify the patients hemodynamic and ventilation, besides increasing the energetic metabolism and glucose consumption. When we analyze special populations, like cardiological and oncological patients, it is possible to notice that despite the mobilizations, there is no substantial effect on the hemodynamic state, as we can see in some studies developed by our research group. More recently, it was demonstrated that this procedure can reduce blood glucose analyzed by the arterial blood before and after the bath. These data are crucial for nursing care, supporting decision-making and patient evaluation during the procedure, rendering a safer nursing care.

Biography :

Aretha Oliveira has her expertise in Critical Care Nursing. She is a Specialist in Cardio-Intensive Nursing. She is working as a Nurse of Intensive Care Unit in Postoperative Unit at National Cancer Institute, Brazil. She is the Member of research group Cardiovisão at Federal Fluminense University. She has completed her Master’s degree in Sciences of Health Care. She has many years of experience in research, evaluation and teaching both in hospital and education institutions.