نشریه

Introduction: Intubation is a preferred and reliable procedure to support the airways during mechanical ventilation. However, it is associated with several complications. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff regarding the complications of prolonged intubation among health providers.
Methods: This study followed the descriptive-analytical approach. The study population included the personnel of the ICU and the emergency department of Valiasr University Hospital in Birjand University of Medical Sciences (Iran), including nurses, physicians, as well as assistants of anesthesiology, internal medicine, and neurology in 2018-2019. Participants were included in the study through the census method. In order to collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used in four sections: personal characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practice. Data were analyzed using the SPSS (version 18) software, which used a one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square test. The level of significance was set at α=0.05.
Results: A total of 60 individuals participated in the study: 9 specialists, 16 assistants, 4 masters, and 31 bachelors of nursing. Findings revealed that 26 (21.66%), 32 (53.33%), and 15 (25%) of the participants had good, moderate, and poor knowledge, respectively, toward prolonged intubation. In addition, it was shown that 39 people (65%) had a good attitude, and 12 people (20%) had good practice in the field. The participants' mean knowledge and practice scores were significantly different by educational level (P<0.05). Moreover, there was a significant difference between the mean score of participants' knowledge based on their work experience (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Considering the knowledge and practice gap, ICU care providers, policymakers, and medical professionals require much effort to raise the knowledge and break the health providers' old beliefs regarding prolonged intubation complications.