[Systematic review and meta-analysis of the accuracy of "impaired gas exchange" defining characteristics].

INTRODUCTION: Nursing diagnoses share some common defining characteristics. OBJECTIVE: To identify key defining characteristics for the nursing diagnosis "Impaired gas exchange". METHOD: Systematic review with meta-analysis of three studies in samples with different clinical profiles. The relevance and quality of the studies were assessed according the QUADAS protocol. RESULTS: Two studies were on children with acute respiratory infection and one on adults with mechanical ventilation. The heterogeneity statistic test suggested that the studies are homogeneous. The defining characteristics with higher accuracy were: headaches upon waking, irritability and tachycardia. DISCUSSION: The clinical indicators headache, irritability and tachycardia are signals secondary to hypoxia. Although of different magnitudes according to the age, they are the body's physiological responses. CONCLUSIONS: A comparison of the defining characteristics of "Impaired gas exchange" showed their accuracy. Obtaining measures can contribute to a better identification of this nursing diagnosis.