Effects of a weaning protocol on ventilated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients.
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.
Hughes
M R
MR
Division of Outcomes Management Research and Development, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, USA.
Smith
C D
CD
Tecklenburg
F W
FW
Habib
D M
DM
Hulsey
T C
TC
Ebeling
M
M
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*