The Effect of Positioning on Adaptation to Spontaneous Breathing in Premature Infants After Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Aim:To determine the effects of positioning on the adaptation to spontaneous breathing in premature infants after weaning from mechanical ventilation.Materials and Methods:This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with 60 (study group=30; control group=30) premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. The infants in the study group and the control group were in a prone position and a supine position, respectively, during the first 120 minutes when spontaneous breathing started after they were weaned from mechanical ventilation.Results:There were significant intragroup differences in mean heart rate between repeated measurements at different time points. The differences were not found to be due to positioning. The mean SpO2 was higher in the study group than in the control group, although the difference was not significant. This finding suggested that positioning did not have an influence on SpO2. Two infants in the control group failed to maintain spontaneous breathing. Although the study group had a significantly higher respiratory rate than the control group, the difference was not significant. Therefore, positioning was not found to affect respiratory rate.Conclusion:There was no effect of positioning on the adaptation to spontaneous breathing in premature infants after weaning from mechanical ventilation.

Keywords

• mechanical ventilation
• premature infants
• prone position
• supine position
• breathing