Efficacy of an expanded ventilator bundle for the reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the medical intensive care unit

Am J Infect Control. 2009 Mar;37(2):172-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2008.05.010. Epub 2008 Oct 22.

Abstract

The ventilator bundle (VB) includes a group of clinical maneuvers (head-of-bed elevation, "sedation vacation," deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, and peptic ulcer disease prophylaxis) to improve outcomes in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. We modified the standard VB in our medical intensive care unit to include a group of respiratory therapist-driven protocols and, postimplementation, observed a statistically significant (P = .0006) reduction in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), from a median of 14.1 cases/10(3) ventilator-days (interquartile range [IQR] = 12.1 to 20.6) to 0 cases/10(3) ventilator-days (IQR = 0 to 1.1).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / prevention & control*
  • Ventilators, Mechanical / adverse effects*
  • Young Adult