BED BATH FOR SEPTIC PATIENTS: CORRELATING HEART RATE, PLETHYSMOGRAPHIC OXYHEMOGLOBIN SATURATION AND ESOPHAGEAL TEMPERATURE

Abstract

Introduction: sepsis is an organic dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated inflammatory response to infections. Septic patients are often admitted to the ICU, where bed bathing is essential care. Objective: to correlate oxygen saturation (SpO₂), esophageal temperature and heart rate (HR) during bed bathing in septic patients. Method: observational and prospective study. Esophageal temperature, SpO₂ and HR were measured minute by minute during the bath. Spearman coefficient and coefficient of determination (r²) were calculated in SPSS software. Results: of the 29 patients, 51.72% were women, with a mean age of 67±14 years and a mean SOFA score of 7.59±3.34. Correlations between HR and esophageal temperature were moderate to strong, except at minute 23. Correlations between SpO₂ and HR were weak and non-significant. Conclusion: There was a moderate correlation between HR and esophageal temperature during bed bathing, but the variation in HR was not explained by SpO₂.