Use of continuous positive airway pressure in drainage of pleural effusion: Educational intervention for evidence-based practice.

Objective: To create an educational intervention for health professionals and test its effectiveness in implementing the use of CPAP in hospitalized patients with pleural effusion undergoing thoracic drainage.

Methods: This implementation study was developed in 5 hospitals in Brazil and one in Belgium within four phases: (I) Situational diagnosis (professionals and patients' knowledge about CPAP usage for drained pleural effusion and checking medical records for the last 6 months); (II) Education and training of professionals; (III) New situational diagnosis (equal to phase I); (IV) Follow-up for two years.

Results: 65 professionals, 117 patients' medical records, and 64 patients were enrolled in this study. Initially, only 72% of medical records presented a description of interventions. CPAP usage was mentioned in only one patient with a chest tube. After phase III, the number of professionals who used CPAP for their patients with drained pleural effusion increased from 28.8% to 66.7%, p < 0.001. Similarly, the acceptability of this therapy for this clinical situation also increased among professionals from 6.4 ± 1.3 to 7.8 ± 1.4, p < 0.001. However, before the implementation, only one medical record described the use of CPAP in one patient with drained pleural effusion. After two years, the use of CPAP therapy by healthcare professionals for patients with drained thoracic drainage was sustained in 3 hospitals.

Conclusions: The educational intervention for the use of CPAP in patients with drained pleural effusion was effective for health professionals. Results were sustained after two years in three of the six hospitals.