title: Translating guidelines into practice: ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention strategies in an acute rehabilitation unit.
abstract: Ventilator-associated pneumonia has significant mortality (33%-50%). The highest risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia is early in mechanical ventilation with an increase in morbidity and mortality seen with late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia. Prevention strategies have been recommended for acute care facilities, but there is lack of evidence-based data and recommendations for acute rehabilitation units. A multidisciplinary team designed an evidence-based ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention policy based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement ventilator bundle. Education of rehabilitation staff and implementation of the protocol were done. Results showed that the ventilator-associated pneumonia rate decreased from 7.5 to 0 per 1000 patient ventilator days. Translating evidence-based guidelines into practice can be accomplished using a multidisciplinary team.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Division, Acute Rehabilitation Center, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts 02118, USA. janet.crimlisk@mc.org
authors.forename: Janet T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Crimlisk
authors.forename: Kristin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gustafson
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D014481:United States