الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Since respiratory failure with the need for mechanical ventilation continues to be the most common reason for admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), thus, evaluation of respiratory gas exchange is an integral part of monitoring that is usually carried out by critical care nurses providing care for patients on mechanical ventilation.
Arterial puncture as an invasive monitoring system is considered the general accepted standards method for monitoring patient’s arterial oxygenation and adequacy of ventilation in critically ill patients. However, this technique is painful for the patients, predisposes them to serious complications as well as cannot provide immediate and continuous measurement needed for early detection of serious respiratory problems such as hypoxemia. Thus, it has been advanced that pulse-oximetry and capnography as continuous non-invasive monitoring techniques, can preclude the painful arterial needle stick in the intensive care units if their clinical effectiveness is proven.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of non-invasive monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation and arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure in mechanically ventilated patients. The present study was conducted in the intensive care units of Alexandria Main University Hospital – namely; the Casualty intensive Care Unit (Unit I) and the General Intensive Care Unit (Unit III). The studied sample consisted of all available O2 readings (including 300 SpO2 and simultaneous 300 SaO2) and CO2 readings (including 300 PetCO2 and simultaneous 300 PaCO2) obtained from 76 critically ill adult patients of either sex who were mechanically ventilated, and undergoing arterial blood gas measurements as part of their evaluation.
Patients with low perfusion state, extreme peripheral vasoconstriction, severe hyperbilirubinemia, exposed to intravenous dyes, receiving sulfas; nitrates; lidocaine therapy; high doses of vasoactive drugs, as well as agitated patients were excluded from the study. Data collection took approximately 12 months starting from January till December/2006.
To fulfill the aim of the current study, arterial oxygen saturation and arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure monitoring sheet was developed by the researcher comprising three parts.