title: Implementation of a multidisciplinary ventilator-weaning and sedation protocol in a community intensive care unit.
abstract: Prolongation of mechanical ventilation poses serious personal and financial threats to healthcare consumers. To that end, many healthcare-related groups have established mechanisms for rapid weaning and subsequent extubation of mechanically ventilated patients. Our objectives were to create and implement an evidenced-based, multidisciplinary care-driven ventilator-weaning protocol as well as revise existing ventilator sedation protocols to decrease length of stay in addition to time spent on the ventilator. Our findings are presented in this article.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Hospital, Fairfield, Ohio, USA. AxRumpke@health-partners.org
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rumpke
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives