Ventilator-associated pneumonia: Improving outcomes through guideline implementation.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is associated with increased duration of mechanical ventilation and increased risk of death for critically ill patients. Although scientific advances have the potential to improve the outcomes of critically ill patients who are at risk of or who have VAP, the translation of research knowledge on effective strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat VAP is not uniformly applied in practice in the intensive care unit. Knowledge about VAP may be used more effectively at the bedside by a systematic process of knowledge translation through implementation of clinical practice guidelines. Unfortunately, there remain large gaps in our understanding of guideline implementation in the intensive care unit, specifically as it applies to guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of VAP.
Sinuff
Tasnim
T
Department of Critical Care, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4N 3M5. taz.sinuff@sunnybrook.ca
Muscedere
John
J
Cook
Deborah
D
Dodek
Peter
P
Heyland
Daren
D
D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors