title: Ventilator-associated pneumonia improvement program.
abstract: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant clinical problem associated with increased intensive care unit and hospital length of stay and substantial increases in delivery cost and associated morbidity and mortality. With system changes and management of the environment of care, the incidence of VAP was reduced in seven of our intensive care units across the system. Steps necessary to reduce VAP were identified and put into place in all the intensive care units. Patient positioning, oral care, nutrition, and management of comfort drugs are a few of the processes addressed to reduce VAP. Standardization of these essential care practices can reduce the incidence of this nosocomial infection and its associated increases in the cost of care delivery and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care, Community Health Network, 1500 N Ritter Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46219, USA. tmurray@ecommunity.com
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Caryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goodyear-Bruch
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007196:Indiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D009017:Morbidity; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*