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Recommendations for Arterial Blood Gas Collection in Intensive Care: Scoping Review
Laura Lima Souza1, Vanuza Raquel de Lima1, Luzia Clênia Campos da Costa1
1Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Objectives:
To map and synthesise the main recommendations for arterial blood gas (ABG) collection in intensive care units (ICUs).
Design:
A scoping review was conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR Checklist, supported with The PAGER framework and guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology to ensure methodological rigour and analytical comprehensiveness.
Methods:
Data collection was conducted from February to April 2024. The data sources included: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, PubMed Central, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Web of Science (WoS), SCOPUS, Science Direct, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Excerpta Medica database (Embase), CAPES Thesis and Dissertation Catalogue, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), Scientific Open Access Repository of Portugal (RCAAP), Theses Canada and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) repository.
Results:
Key findings recommend the radial artery as the preferred puncture site, an insertion angle of 30° to 45°, the use of 1 or 3 mL syringes and 20G or 23G gauge needles. Transport and storage at room temperature are advised. Cryoanalgesia and subcutaneous analgesia methods were found to be effective for pain management.
Conclusion:
The review highlights the best practices for arterial blood gas collection in critical care. The synthesized evidence strengthens clinical practice, informs guidelines for intensive care nursing and promotes safer, higher-quality care for critically ill patients.
Implications For The Profession And/Or Patient Care:
The evidence-based recommendations identified can enhance nursing care related to arterial blood gas collection. Adherence to these practices promotes safer, more humanised and evidence-based care during the procedure.
Reporting Method:
The report of this study followed the PRISMA-ScR Checklist.
Patient Or Public Contribution:
There was no patient or public involvement in this scoping review.
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