Does Endotracheal Suctioning Affect Bispectral Index and Ramsay Sedation Scores in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients?

Objective: A particular electroencephalography parameter known as the bispectral index (BIS) is one of the objective methods used to assess sedative and hypnotic effects. The aim of this study is to monitor the level of consciousness of patients who underwent sedation-analgesia in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and to evaluate how their sedation levels were affected by painful procedures by examining BIS and Ramsey Sedation Scale (RSS). Method: This prospective observational study was held 43 pediatric patients who were hospitalized in the 24-bed university-affiliated tertiary PICU. BIS, RSS and vital signs were recorded both before and after the endotracheal suctioning procedure. Patients were divided into two groups according to the chosen analgesic which was fentanyl or morphine. Percentage change (BIS, electromyography activity, signal quality index, RSS score, heart rate, oxygen saturation) of before/after endotracheal suctioning was calculated. Results: The increase in BIS value, increase heart rates and decrease RSS of patients with endotracheal suctioning were found to be significant (p