Staffing level: a determinant of late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia.
A body of knowledge exists to suggest an association between nurse staffing and adverse patient outcomes. Hugonnet and colleagues add further evidence by linking nurse staffing to late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia. Discussed are a number of concerns surrounding the analytic component of this study, including the construction of variables and the statistical models. The authors' estimation that hospitals maintaining a nurse-to-patient ratio above 2.2 could decrease the risk of health care associated infections is based on findings that are potentially biased and unrealistic.
Cimiotti
Jeannie P
JP
D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload
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