NURS 287 Lecture Notes - Weaning, Cardiac Surgery, Hypermetabolism
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Ppv and the hypermetabolism associated with critical illness can contribute to inadequate nutrition. Patients likely to be without food for 3 to 5 days should have a nutritional program initiated. Poor nutrition and the disuse of respiratory muscles contribute to decreased respiratory muscle strength. Inadequate nutrition can delay weaning, decrease resistance to infection, and decrease the speed of recovery. Enteral feeding via a small-bore feeding tube is the preferred method to meet caloric needs of ventilated patients. Evidence-based guidelines regarding verification of feeding tube placement include: (1) x-ray confirmation before initial use, (2) marking and ongoing assessment of the tube"s exit site, and (3) ongoing review of routine x-rays and aspirate. Weaning is the process of reducing ventilator support and resuming spontaneous ventilation. Weaning can be viewed as consisting of three phases. The preweaning, or assessment, phase determines the patient"s ability to breathe spontaneously.
