title: Hospital cuts time on ventilators, ICU LOS.
abstract: A grass-roots effort led by nurses allowed a North Carolina hospital to cut the length of stay for patients on ventilators by 34% and the overall ICU length of stay by 25% in nine months. A ventilator protocol approved by physicians lets nurses and respiratory therapists begin weaning patients without calling the physician at every turn. Ventilator patients averaged savings of $35,000 in hospital charges during the nine-month study period.
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003428:Cross Infection; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D009657:North Carolina; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015300:Ventilator Weaning