['Intuition or exactness? Intuitive positioning of the bed headboard in critical patients. Do we need to measure it?].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the skill of the nursery staff of an intensive care unit (ICU) to set the head of the bed accurately and to determine the need to incorporate a slope indicator in each bed.


METHODS
Observational prospective study to measure the positioning of the head of the bed at 30 degrees and 45 degrees from 0 degrees in beds with slope indicator that was hidden during the study.


METHODS
A neurosurgery ICU with thirteen boxes.


METHODS
from November-2003 to January-2004. Subject : nursery staff.


RESULTS
228 measures were made, 160 (50% at 30 degrees and 50% at 45 degrees ) were made by nurses, and 68 (50% at 30 degrees and 50% at 45 degrees ) by auxiliary nurses. At both positions there were 26 correct settings. Mean was 20 degrees and 30 degrees at 30 degrees and 45 degrees , respectively. There were not differences between nurses and auxiliary nurses at 30 degrees (22.6 +/- 1.5 vs 21.8 +/- 2.4) nor at (33.3 +/- 2 vs 33.8 +/- 3.3). There were not significant differences due to work experience nor respect of analysed variables (intracranial pressure monitoring, squatting, etc.).


CONCLUSIONS
We set the head of the bed under the recommended slope for this type of patients, regardless of the analysed variables. We think that an objective slope degree indicator is mandatory in this kind of beds in order to achieve an accuracy positioning.
Montial Fernández
Elena
E
DUE, Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Polivalente, Hospital Santiago Apóstol, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, España. fvallejo@hsan.osakidetza.net
Ruiz de Escudero García
Nuria
N
Prieto Arriba
Elena
E
D001513:Beds; D003422:Critical Care; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D019545:Intuition; D009729:Nursing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011187:Posture; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies