Assessment of nurses' knowledge about the importance of continuous infusion of catecholamines in intensive care unit

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nurses' knowledge about the importance of continuous infusion of catecholamine. This is a descriptive exploratory cross-sectional study conducted in the Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital in Fortaleza-Ceará. We interviewed 49 nurses. The majority 80.4% (40) were not specialists in intensive care. The most used device for the continuous infusion of catecholamines were infusion pumps and jet-directed catheter (93. 88%). Worryingly 54.34% of the nurses interviewed stated they do not strictly comply with the continuous infusion. Regarding the investigation of nurses' knowledge about the importance of the pharmacological concept of that drug infusion 57.14% partially dominate the pharmacological importance of the concept of continuous infusion. In conclusion the development of protocols that specify the need for continuous solutions exchange can help significantly the nursing care assistance