Impact of a Postextubation Care Bundle on Physiological Parameters Among Extubated Patients: A Quasi-Experimental...

Extubation is a critical milestone in intensive care recovery; however, extubated patients frequently experience impaired swallowing, respiratory dysfunction, and muscle weakness, increasing morbidity and delaying rehabilitation. Structured postextubation interventions addressing these impairments remain underutilized in routine ICU care.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured postextubation care bundle on physiological parameters among extubated patients.

A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test control group design was adopted in a tertiary care hospital in Erode. A total of 150 extubated patients were allocated to experimental (n = 75) and control (n = 75) groups using purposive sampling. The experimental group received a care bundle consisting of swallowing exercises and Buteyko breathing exercises for five days, while the control group received standard care. Swallowing function (MMASA), respiratory function, and extremity muscle strength were assessed preintervention and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired and unpaired t-tests, and chi-square tests.

The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in swallowing function (mean increase 42%), respiratory function (48%), and muscle strength (67%) compared to the control group (13, 27, and 24%, respectively). Unpaired t-tests showed highly significant differences between groups across all physiological parameters (P < 0.05). No significant associations were found between baseline physiological parameters and demographic variables.

The postextubation care bundle was highly effective in improving physiological recovery among extubated patients and can be safely integrated into routine ICU nursing practice.