Patient perception of fatigue while undergoing long-term mechanical ventilation: incidence and associated factors.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a chronically critically ill population of patients receiving long-term ventilatory assistance, including patient perception of fatigue and the associated factors of nutritional status, depression, and sleep-rest.


METHODS
Prospective, descriptive correlational design.


METHODS
Two tertiary care, university-affiliated medical centers.


METHODS
Twenty subjects who were undergoing mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days and who were in the process of weaning.


RESULTS
Descriptive, correlational, and t test statistics were used in the data analysis. There was a 100% prevalence rate of fatigue, and with a 10-cm visual analogue scale, 45% of the subjects rated their fatigue as severe (> or = 6.0 cm) in intensity. The sample's mean serum albumin was 2.7 gm/dl, and mean hemoglobin was 10.1 gm/dl, but there were no statistically significant relationships between fatigue and nutritional status. Subjects' depression scores were in the moderate range, and they evaluated their sleep as fragmented and only moderately effective. Fatigue and depression were strongly correlated (r = 0.61; p = 0.004); there were no statistically significant relationships between fatigue and the sleep-rest scales.


CONCLUSIONS
The descriptive findings suggest that patients receiving long-term ventilatory assistance are undernourished and experience fatigue, depressed mood state, and disruptions of their sleep-rest patterns.
Higgins
P A
PA
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland 44106-4904, USA.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000523:psychology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D012803:Sick Role; D012892:Sleep Deprivation; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000523:psychology
D012709:Serum Albumin