Impact of a dedicated neonatal stabilization room and process changes on stabilization time.
Our objective was to evaluate the impact of a dedicated resuscitation and stabilization (RAS) room and process changes on infant stabilization time.



A prospective quality improvement study was conducted on preterm infants in a tertiary care center. A dedicated RAS room, preresuscitation huddle, infant-isolette-ventilator pairing and improved documentation were implemented. The primary outcome was median time to stabilization and secondary outcomes were illness severity on day 1 and morbidity at discharge.



A sustained reduction in median time to stabilization from 90 min in the preimplementation phase to 72 min in the sustainability phase was observed. All planned and iterative process changes were integrated into the RAS team's daily routine. Time to completion of procedures decreased, illness severity and morbidity remained unchanged.



A dedicated RAS room adjacent to the delivery suite in conjunction with process changes improves efficiency of care.
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Shivananda
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Gupta
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Thomas
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Babb
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Meyer
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Symington
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Paes
Department of Pediatric Medicine, Section of Neonatology, Houston, TX, USA.
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Suresh
D002170:Canada; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D003696:Delivery Rooms / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors