title: Effects of a weaning protocol on ventilated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients.
abstract: As part of a learning collaborative sponsored by the Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences (CECS) at Dartmouth College, a multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) group began meeting in 1997 to evaluate potential performance improvement (PI) opportunities. A reduction in mechanical ventilation (MV) hours was the initial team focus. The multidisciplinary team developed and implemented protocols and physician order sets outlining care for MV weaning, neuromuscular blockade/therapeutic paralyzation, and enteral feedings. Since the initiation of our protocols in July 1997, we have significantly reduced the number of hours our PICU patients receive MV.
authors.affiliation: Division of Outcomes Management Research and Development, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Tecklenburg
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hulsey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebeling
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000592:standards*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D012985:Software Design; D013022:South Carolina; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000592:standards*