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Eliminating Ventilator-associated Pneumonia From Hospitals... |
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announced today that 14 hospitals enrolled in its 100,000 Lives Campaign have had no cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia for one year or more.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a lung infection that can develop in patients dependent on mechanical ventilators to help them breathe. It typically occurs in intensive care units. Fifteen percent of patients on ventilators develop this serious complication. VAP is a leading killer among all hospital-acquired infections, causing an estimated 26,000 deaths every year.
Launched in December 2004, the 100,000 Lives Campaign is the first-ever national initiative that aims to save a large and specified number of lives by a certain date (June 2006). The Campaign asks participating hospitals to implement six evidence-based interventions, one of which targets VAPs. A series of steps, such as raising the head of the bed to an angle of 30-45 degrees and making sure to wean patients off the ventilators as quickly as possible, can cut the deadly infection rate dramatically and, in the case of these pioneering hospitals, to zero.
-- Swedish Medical Center - Seattle, WA - no cases in 5 months.
-- at the first sign that a patient's condition is worsening and may lead to a more serious medical emergency.
-- by delivering evidence-based care, such as appropriate administration of aspirin and beta-blockers to prevent further heart muscle damage.
-- by ensuring that accurate and continually updated lists of patients' medications are reviewed and reconciled during their hospital stay, particularly at transition points.
-- by following five steps, including proper hand washing and cleaning the patient's skin with “chlorhexidine” (a type of antiseptic).
-- by following a series of steps, including the timely administration of antibiotics.
-- by following four steps, including raising the head of the patient's bed between 30 and 45 degrees.
The 100,000 Lives Campaign is supported through unrestricted philanthropy from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Cardinal Health Foundation, the Colorado Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Rx Foundation, Baxter International, the Blue Shield of California Foundation, and the Leeds Family Foundation. Please visit http://www.ihi.org/campaign to learn more about the Campaign.
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