Background: Respiratory therapists (RTs) provide various types of patient care in different clinical settings. Burnout can have an undesirable effect on RTs and their patients. Managing the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in hospitals, could induce stress in RTs and increase the likelihood of burnout. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the level of burnout among RTs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A validated cross-sectional questionnaire was used to identify the prevalence and characteristics of burnout among RTs. The questionnaire was administered by the respiratory care department of a tertiary healthcare center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data analysis included descriptive, inferential, and correlational tests. Results: The survey was distributed among 100 RTs with a response rate of 66%. Most respondents reported high burnout levels in the three domains of burnout: 77% reported emotional exhaustion, 98% reported depersonalization, and 73% reported low personal achievement. Univariate analysis revealed that emotional exhaustion was significantly higher among RTs who were male, married, or working in critical care settings. Female RTs and those working in general care settings reported feelings of reduced personal achievement. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a moderate positive correlation between the years of experience and emotional exhaustion (r=0.6, p<0.001). Conclusions: A high prevalence of burnout was observed among RTs in one Saudi tertiary hospital. Burnout is associated with several factors, and interventions should target all domains of burnout. RT management and staff are responsible for addressing their needs and collaboratively working together to overcome burnout. Further investigations focusing on techniques and strategies to alleviate burnout are required.
INTRODUCTION:Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most serious hospital-acquired infections to occur among mechanically ventilated patients. Many risk factors for VAP have been identified in the literature; however, there is a lack of studies examining the association between endotracheal tube (ETT) repositioning and an increase in the risk of VAP. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to investigate the effect of ETT repositioning and the risk of developing VAP.METHODS:Matched case-control studies were conducted among mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at King Abdulaziz Medical City from 2016 to 2018. Patients who had a documented VAP diagnosis were identified and matched to four controls (within a 10-year age band). The history of ETT repositioning (defined as changes in the positioned ETTs from the first reading at the time of ETT insertion) was explored in the medical files of the sample, as were other demographic and comorbidity risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between ETT repositioning and VAP.RESULTS:A total of 24 cases were identified with documented VAP diagnosis during the study. Those cases were matched to 81 controls. The mean age was 55 (standard deviation 21) for both cases and controls. VAP patients had a greater history of ETT repositioning (46%) compared to controls (29%). Patients who had a history of ETT repositioning were twice as likely to develop VAP as patients who had no history of ETT repositioning (P = 0.13). After adjustment of a potential confounder, the results showed evidence of an increased risk of VAP after ETT repositioning (odds ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval 1.0–9.6).CONCLUSION:Reposition of ETT considers as a risk factor for VAP in ICU patients, and appropriate measures should be applied to reduce movements of the ETT tube.
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