Cardiac arrhythmias during postural drainage and chest percussion of critically ill patients

In this study we determine the prevalence and type of arrhythmias that occur during postural drainage and chest percussion (PDP) of critically ill patients, and identify those patients who are most at risk of developing them. We monitored the vital signs and ECGs of 72 ICU patients during their initial PDP treatment. Eight patients (11.1 percent) had development of major arrhythmias, 18 (25 percent) had minor arrhythmias, and 46 (63.9 percent) had none. Increased age (p < 0.0001) and the presence of acute cardiac disorders (p < 0.001) were associated with increased risk of arrhythmias. Individuals experiencing major arrhythmias had a significantly decreased BP and respiratory rate with an increased heart rate during PDP. We conclude that arrhythmias are common during PDP of critically ill patients and recommend that ICU patients be carefully monitored during PDP. When considering PDP for older patients and patients with acute cardiac disease, physicians should carefully weigh the risk of arrhythmias against the benefits of this treatment.