Measuring evidence-based clinical guideline compliance in the paediatric intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based clinical care guidelines improve medical treatment by reducing error, improving outcomes and possibly lowering healthcare costs. While some data exist on individual guideline compliance, no data exist on overall compliance to multiple nuanced guidelines in a paediatric intensive care setting.

METHODS

Guideline compliance was observed and measured with a prospective cohort at a tertiary academic paediatric medical-surgical intensive care unit. Adherence to 19 evidence-based clinical care guidelines was evaluated in 814 patients, and reasons for non-compliance were noted along with other associated outcomes.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Overall facility compliance was unexpectedly high at 77.8% over 4512 compliance events, involving 826 admissions. Compliance varied widely between guidelines. Guidelines with the highest compliance were stress ulcer prophylaxis (97.1%) and transfusion administration such as fresh frozen plasma (97.4%) and platelets (94.8%); guidelines with the lowest compliance were ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention (28.7%) and vitamin K administration (34.8%). There was no significant change in compliance over time with observation. Guidelines with binary decision branch points or single-page decision flow diagrams had a higher average compliance of 90.6%. Poor compliance was more often observed with poor perception of guideline trustworthiness and time limitations.

CONCLUSIONS

Measuring guideline compliance, though onerous, allowed for evaluation of current clinical practices and identified actionable areas for institutional improvement.

Identifying the barriers and facilitators to implementation of ventilator bundle in the nepalese intensive care unit: A descriptive qualitative study

BACKGROUND

A ventilator bundle is an effective preventive strategy against the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, in clinical practice ventilator bundle implementation is poor. Understanding the barriers to ventilator bundle implementation in low- and middle-income countries can inform the development of effective implementation strategies to reduce the burden of VAP.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators of ventilator bundle implementation perceived by healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in intensive care units (ICU) in Nepal. The secondary objective was to prioritise the barriers when developing implementation strategies.

METHODS

This study used a pragmatic approach comprising a series of methods to identify the implementation strategies: (i) Barriers and facilitators were explored using a qualitative study design. Twenty-one HCPs selected using the maximum variation sampling technique from a large tertiary hospital, completed semistructured interviews. All the interviews were recorded, transcribed word-by-word, and uploaded into NVivo for analysis using the thematic analysis approach. (ii) After analysis, nine participants were selecteded to determine the priority order of the barriers using a barrier identification and mitigation tool.

RESULTS

The data analysis revealed five main themes and 19 subthemes that affected ventilator bundle implementation. The main themes were provider-related factors, organisational and practice-related factors, performances of work, environmental conditions, and patient-related factors. The common barriers were job insecurity, poor knowledge, negative attitude, insufficient equipment, and severity of patient disease. Common facilitators were educational training, equipment functioning, adequate staff, strong leadership, and organisational support. Finally, eight main barriers were prioritised to target the change.

CONCLUSION

The barriers to implementing ventilator bundles in ICUs were identified. Focussing on addressing the prioritised barriers may aid in improving patient care and safety in ICUs. Results may guide HCPs in the development of implementation strategies to reduce the burden of VAP.

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Impact of Nutrition Interruptions in Critically Ill Children

Background: Enteral nutrition interruptions (ENI) are prevalent in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), but there is little evidence of their characteristics. Methods: This is a cross-sectional multicenter study including critically ill children on enteral nutrition. ENIs were classified as PICU procedures, procedures performed outside the PICU (PPOP), feeding intolerance and other criteria. The number and features of ENIs were collected. Results: A total of 75 children were enrolled. There were 41 interruptions affecting 37.3% of the patients with a median duration of 5 ± 9.4 h. The most common reason for ENI was PPOP (41.5%), followed by other criteria. Interruptions were considered preventable in 24.4% of the cases, but only eight were compensated. ENIs were more prevalent among children with cardiac disease (p = 0.047), higher PRISM (p = 0.047) and longer PICU stay (p = 0.035). There was association between PRISM and total interruption time (p = 0.02) and lower caloric intake (p = 0.035). Patients with respiratory illness (p = 0.022) and on noninvasive ventilation (p = 0,028) had fewer ENIs. ENI total time was associated with lower caloric (p = 0.001) and protein (p = 0.02) intake. Conclusions: ENIs are prevalent in PICU, especially in children with higher PRISM, longer PICU stays and cardiac disease, and result in lower caloric and protein intake.

When is enteral nutrition indicated?

Enteral nutrition (EN) is a vital component of nutrition around the world. EN allows for delivery of nutrients to those who cannot maintain adequate nutrition by oral intake alone. Common questions regarding EN are when to initiate and in what scenarios it is safe. The answers to these questions are often complex and require an evidence-based approach. The Board of Directors of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) established an Enteral Nutrition Committtee to address the important questions surrounding the indications for EN. Consensus recommendations were established based on eight extremely clinically relevant questions regarding EN indications as deemed by the Enteral Nutrition Committee. These consensus recommendations may act as a guide for clinicians and stakeholders on difficult questions pertaining to indications for EN. This paper was approved by the ASPEN Board of Directors.

Improving nutrition practices for postoperative high-risk heart transplant and ventricular assist device implant patients in circulatory compromise: A quality improvement pre- and post-protocol intervention outcome study

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing heart transplant (HT) and ventricular assist device (VAD) implant may experience intra- and postoperative complications requiring high-dose vasopressor agents and/or mechanical circulatory support. These complications increase the risk of nonocclusive bowel ischemia (NOBI) and inadequate enteral nutrition (EN) delivery, and guidance for this high-risk patient population is limited. To optimize nutrition support practices in this patient population at our institution, we created the High-Risk Nutrition Support Protocol (HRNSP) to improve nutrient delivery and promote safer EN practices in the setting of NOBI risk factors after HT and VAD implant.

METHODS

We developed and implemented a nutrition support protocol as a quality improvement (QI) initiative. Data were obtained before (n = 62) and after (n = 52) protocol initiation. We compared nutrition and clinical outcomes between the pre- and post-intervention groups.

RESULTS

Fewer calorie deficits (P < 0.001), fewer protein deficits (P < 0.001), a greater proportion of calorie/protein needs met (P < 0.001), zero NOBI cases (0%), and decreased intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) (P = 0.005) were observed with 100% (n = 52 of 54) HRNSP implementation success. Increased use of parenteral nutrition did not increase central line-associated bloodstream infections (P = 0.46). There was no difference in hospital LOS (P = 0.44) or 90-day and 1-year mortality (P = 0.56, P = 0.35).

CONCLUSION

This single-center, QI pre- and post-protocol intervention outcome study suggests that implementing and adhering to a nutrition support protocol for VAD implant/HT patients with hemodynamic complications increases nutrient delivery and is associated with reduced ICU LOS and NOBI.

Estimating the time point for nutritional failure in patients suffering from acute brain attacks in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Severe brain attack patients demonstrate hypermetabolic state and gastrointestinal dysfunction, leading to faster onset of nutritional failure.

AIM

To estimate the time point where the development of nutritional failure is more probable among patients with acute brain attacks in the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

Direct bedside observation for selected nutritional parameters was performed. When enteral nutrition was initiated, observation was performed at five points over 9 days.

FINDINGS

84 patients with 55% mortality risk and on mechanical ventilation were included. Over the observation period, gastric residual volume increased (144 ml vs 196 ml), body weight decreased (79.4 kg vs 74.3 kg), and serum albumin reduced (3.6 g/dl to 3.1 g/dl). Caloric attainment and malnutrition score deteriorated, and feeding-related complications increased. Nutritional failure was evidently prevalent between the third and fifth day of observation.

CONCLUSION

An earlier period of enteral nutrition entails higher probability of nutritional failure among severe brain attack patients in the ICU.

Protein prescription and delivery practices in critically ill adults: A survey of Australian and New Zealand intensive care dietitians

BACKGROUND

Protein provision is thought to be integral to attenuating muscle wasting in critical illness, yet patients receive half of that prescribed. As international guidelines lack definitive evidence to support recommendations, understanding clinicians' views relating to protein practices is of importance.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to describe Australia and New Zealand intensive care unit (ICU) dietitians' protein prescription and perceived delivery practices in critically ill adults, including common barriers and associations between ICU clinical experience and protein prescriptions for different clinical conditions.

METHODS

A 42-item descriptive quantitative survey of Australian and New Zealand intensive care dietitians was disseminated through nutrition and ICU society e-mailing lists. Data were collected on respondent demographics and reported protein practices including questions related to a multitrauma case study. Data were analysed using descriptive and content analysis and reported as n (%). Fisher's exact tests were used to compare experience and protein prescriptions.

RESULTS

Of the 67 responses received (one excluded due to >50% missing data), more than 80% of respondents stated they would prescribe 1.2-1.5 g protein/kg bodyweight/day for most critically ill patients, most commonly using European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines to support prescriptions (n = 61/66, 92%). Most respondents (n = 49/66, 74%) thought their practice achieved 61-80% of protein prescriptions, with frequently reported barriers including fasting periods (n = 59/66, 89%), avoiding energy overfeeding (n = 50/66, 76%), and gastrointestinal intolerance (n = 47/66, 71%). No associations between years of ICU experience and protein prescriptions for 14 of the 15 predefined clinical conditions were present.

CONCLUSIONS

Australian and New Zealand ICU dietitians use international guidelines to inform protein prescriptions of 1.2-1.5 g/kg/day for most clinical conditions, and protein prescriptions do not appear to be influenced by years of ICU experience. Key perceived barriers to protein delivery including avoidance of energy overfeeding and gastrointestinal intolerance could be explored to improve protein adequacy.

A condom uterine balloon device among referral facilities in Dar Es Salaam: an assessment of perceptions, barriers and facilitators one year after implementation

BACKGROUND

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal death in Tanzania. The Every Second Matters for Mothers and Babies- Uterine Balloon Tamponade (ESM-UBT) device was developed to address this problem in women with atonic uterus. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers and facilitators to optimal use of the device, in Dar es Salaam Tanzania 1 year after implementation.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews of skilled-birth attendants were conducted between May and July 2017. Interviews were recorded, coded and analyzed for emergent themes.

RESULTS

Among the participants, overall there was a positive perception of the ESM-UBT device. More than half of participants reported the device was readily available and more than 1/3 described ease and success with initial use. Barriers included fear and lack of refresher training. Finally, participants expressed a need for training and device availability at peripheral hospitals.

CONCLUSION

The implementation and progression to optimal use of the ESM-UBT device in Tanzania is quite complex. Ease of use and the prospect of saving a life/preserving fertility strongly promoted use while fear and lack of high-level buy-in hindered utilization of the device. A thorough understanding and investigation of these facilitators and barriers are required to increase uptake of the ESM-UBT device.

Prognostic Performance of NUTRIC Score in Quantifying Malnutrition Risk in the Critically Ill in Congruence With the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is still no concrete guidance for assessing malnutrition risk in the critically ill. Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (NUTRIC) score is undertaken cautiously compared with other validated tools such as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). This study aimed to assess the malnutrition risk in the critically ill using NUTRIC score and assess its congruency with the BIA.

METHODS

In this cross-section observational study, intensive care unit (ICU) patients from various etiologies were assessed using the earlier tools in addition to other prognostic markers (Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation II [APACHE II] and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] scores), caloric attainment, and feeding complications.

RESULTS

Of a total 411 assessed patients, 313 (76.2%) were enterally fed, and 318 (77.4%) were mechanically ventilated. Mean age was 60.7 years, and the median of the assessment since admission was the 12th day. Of those enterally fed patients, 57.9% attained the caloric requirements. Both APACHE II and SOFA scores were compatible in ascertaining ICU mortality at a moderate level (17.88 and 7.17, respectively). The NUTRIC score and phase angle (PA) measured by BIA revealed no differences in the malnutrition risk between patients with and without enteral nutrition. However, regression indicated that the NUTRIC score has explained only 1.1% of the variance of PA after controlling other covariates (β = -0.222, P = .009, confidence interval = -0.31 to -0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

NUTRIC score has a limited prediction to the urgency of aggressive nutrition therapy within the early period of ICU admission.

Nutrition Care of Critically Ill Patients with Leukemia: A Retrospective Study

Adults with acute leukemia (AL) are at high risk of malnutrition due to their disease and treatment side effects and may be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), further increasing the risk of malnutrition. Although ICU care includes some form of nutrition, patients typically receive less than prescribed energy and protein. Our objective was to characterize the nutrition care for critically ill patients with AL. We completed a retrospective review of adults with AL admitted to the Medical/Surgical ICU >24 hours. Descriptive statistics were performed on collected data including: demographics, APACHE II and Nutric scores, nutrition therapy, reasons for withholding nutrition, and mortality status at discharge. Data were collected on 154 AL patients with an average APACHE II score of 27 and Nutric score of 5.96. ICU mortality was 36%. Enteral nutrition (EN) was most commonly prescribed. Patients on EN received 55% of energy and 51% of protein prescribed. EN was commonly withheld for airway management and gastrointestinal impairment. Patients with AL received low amounts of energy and protein in the ICU and had a high Nutric score. Strategies and barriers to improve protein intake in this population are identified.

Current status and influencing factors of barriers to enteral feeding of critically ill patients: A multicenter study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the barriers in administering enteral feeding to critically ill patients from the nursing perspective. Our objectives are to provide tailored interventions for addressing identified barriers and propose an optimal enteral nutrition (EN) practice in intensive care unit (ICU).

BACKGROUND

Despite the availability of numerous verified clinical practice guidelines focusing on enteral feeding of critically ill patients, a wide gap remains between the guideline recommendations and actual nutrition performances. Underfeeding is also a global problem. Therefore, to further understand the reasons of the systemic iatrogenic underfeeding in ICUs, several potential issues are investigated.

DESIGN

This research is a cross-sectional descriptive study.

METHODS

A total of 808 nurses were recruited from 10 comprehensive hospitals from different districts in China. The nursing staff demographic, the unit's EN management information and the Chinese version of barriers to enteral feeding critically ill patients questionnaire were the parameters used to collect data via WeChat app. Moreover, the collected data were analysed by descriptive and correlative statistical analysis methods.

RESULTS

Results obtained by multiple linear regression showed that frequency of EN-related training, full-time ICU nutritionist, hospital level, specific protocols for enteral feeding and position were significantly influencing the enteral feeding of ICU patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Enteral feeding barriers of ICU patients are at a moderate level and are influenced by multiple aspects. Hence, hospital departments should strengthen standardisation and systematic EN training, provide ICU full-time nutritionists and distribute medical resources and personnel rationally. Moreover, construction of a localised feeding process and exerting subjective initiative of clinical nurses from an evidence-based guideline are important. Multifaceted tailored interventions should be implemented to address these barriers.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The findings of this study can be used to inform future intervention and guidelines aimed at addressing these barriers systematically and improving adherence to critical care nutrition guidelines for the provision of enteral nutrition.

Barriers and Solutions to Delivery of Intensive Care Unit Nutrition Therapy

Despite recommendations for early enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill patients, numerous factors contribute to incomplete delivery of EN, including insufficient nutrition risk screening in critically ill patients, underutilization of enteral feeding protocols, fixed rate-based enteral infusion targets with frequent EN interruption, and suboptimal provider practices regarding nutrition support therapy. The purpose of this narrative review is to identify common barriers to optimizing and delivering nutrition in critically ill patients, and suggest strategies and solutions to overcome barriers.

The physician-nurse collaboration in feeding critically ill patients: A multicenter survey

AIMS

Describe physician-nurse collaboration in feeding critically ill patients and explore the influence factors related to this collaboration, which can provide information for clinical practice and future studies.

BACKGROUND

Appropriate nutrition support is essential and significant for critically ill patients, and the importance of physician-nurse collaboration in other fields has been confirmed, yet there are limited studies put insights into the status of physician-nurse collaboration in feeding critically ill patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey with a covering of 15 hospitals was conducted. A 21-item questionnaire was administered to physicians and nurses in critical care units. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multiple stepwise regression analysis were performed to evaluate the physician-nurse collaboration in feeding critically ill patients.

RESULTS

A total of 331 respondents completed the questionnaire. Nurses and physicians were found to have differing perceptions of the physician-nurse collaboration in feeding critically ill patients, with nurses reporting lower levels of collaboration. Nurses consistently gave more negative responses on every survey question compared with physicians. Age, education and clinical experience significantly influenced the nurses' perceptions of cooperation, and age, education, ICU type, and seniority affected the physicians' perceptions of collaboration.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians, nurses and hospital administrators should highlight the physician-nurse collaboration in feeding critically ill patients and reinforce the cooperation based on potential influencing factors. Further research is required to establish feasible cooperative protocol and evaluate the effectiveness of the approach.

Implementation of an Aggressive Enteral Nutrition Protocol and the Effect on Clinical Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Macronutrient deficiency in critical illness is associated with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that an aggressive enteral nutrition (EN) protocol would result in higher macronutrient delivery and fewer late infections.

METHODS

We enrolled adult surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving >72 hours of EN from July 2012 to June 2014. Our intervention consisted of increasing protein prescription (2.0-2.5 vs 1.5-2.0 g/kg/d) and compensatory feeds for EN interruption. We compared the intervention group with historical controls. To test the association of the aggressive EN protocol with the risk of late infections (defined as occurring >96 hours after ICU admission), we performed a Poisson regression analysis, while controlling for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and exposure to gastrointestinal surgery.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 213 patients, who were divided into the intervention group (n = 119) and the historical control group (n = 94). There was no difference in age, sex, BMI, admission category, or Injury Severity Score between the groups. Mean APACHE II score was higher in the intervention group (17 ± 8 vs 14 ± 6, P = .002). The intervention group received more calories (19 ± 5 vs 17 ± 6 kcal/kg/d, P = .005) and protein (1.2 ± 0.4 vs 0.8 ± 0.3 g/kg/d, P < .001), had a higher percentage of prescribed calories (77% vs 68%, P < .001) and protein (93% vs 64%, P < .001), and accumulated a lower overall protein deficit (123 ± 282 vs 297 ± 233 g, P < .001). On logistic regression, the intervention group had fewer late infections (adjusted odds ratio, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

In surgical ICU patients, implementation of an aggressive EN protocol resulted in greater macronutrient delivery and fewer late infections.

ASPEN Safe Practices for Enteral Nutrition Therapy [Formula: see text]

Enteral nutrition (EN) is a valuable clinical intervention for patients of all ages in a variety of care settings. Along with its many outcome benefits come the potential for adverse effects. These safety issues are the result of clinical complications and of process-related errors. The latter can occur at any step from patient assessment, prescribing, and order review, to product selection, labeling, and administration. To maximize the benefits of EN while minimizing adverse events requires that a systematic approach of care be in place. This includes open communication, standardization, and incorporation of best practices into the EN process. This document provides recommendations based on the available evidence and expert consensus for safe practices, across each step of the process, for all those involved in caring for patients receiving EN.

Process-Related Barriers to Optimizing Enteral Nutrition in a Tertiary Medical Intensive Care Unit

PURPOSE

Enteral nutrition (EN) is the preferred route of nutrient delivery in critically ill patients. Research has consistently described an incomplete delivery of EN in critically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate barriers to reach and maintain >90% prescribed EN among critically ill medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort quality improvement study of patients ≥ 18 years of age admitted to a tertiary medical ICU and referred for EN from October 1-December 31, 2013. We excluded patients who received intermittent or bolus feeding. Demographic, clinical, and nutrition data were collected. Potential barriers to EN were categorized a priori.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight patients receiving 344 days of EN were included in the study. EN was initiated at a median of 32 hours (interquartile range, 18.5-75 hours) after ICU admission. Initiation and advancement of EN was identified as the most common reason for <90% prescribed intake. The top 5 interruption reasons were extubation, fasting for bedside procedure, loss of enteral access, gastric residual volume (0-499 mL), and radiology suite procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Suboptimal EN volume delivery continues to be an issue in critically ill patients. Our study identified initiation and advancement of EN as the most common reason for suboptimal EN volume delivery. Variation in practice was noted within several categories, and multiple reversible barriers to optimal EN delivery were identified. These data can serve as the impetus to modify practice models and workflow to optimize EN delivery among critically ill patients.

Mobilization of ventilated patients in the intensive care unit: An elicitation study using the theory of planned behavior

PURPOSE

Early mobilization in intensive care unit (ICU) is safe, feasible, and beneficial. However, mobilization frequently does not occur in practice. The study objective was to elicit attitudinal, normative, and control beliefs (barriers and enablers) toward the mobilization of ventilated patients, to inform development of targeted implementation interventions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 9-item elicitation questionnaire was administered electronically to a convenience sample of multidisciplinary staff in a tertiary ICU. A snowball recruitment approach was used to target a sample size of 20 to 25. Two investigators performed word count and thematic analyses independently. Themes were cross-checked by a third investigator.

RESULTS

Twenty-two questionnaires were completed. Respondents wrote the most text about disadvantages. Positive attitudinal beliefs included better respiratory function, reduced functional decline, and reduced muscle wasting/weakness. The main negative attitudinal beliefs were that mobilization is perceived as time consuming and poses a risk of line dislodgement/disconnection. Positive control beliefs (enablers) included increased staff availability, positive staff attitudes, engagement, and teamwork. Negative control beliefs (barriers) included unstable patient physiology and negative workplace culture.

CONCLUSIONS

Intensive care unit staff expressed positive and negative attitudinal, normative, and control beliefs across the spectrum, and disadvantages were most frequently reported. Identified beliefs can be used to inform development of future interventions.

Revised Questionnaire to Assess Barriers to Adequate Nutrition in the Critically Ill

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to revise and improve a questionnaire to assess barriers to providing adequate enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill adults.

METHODS

Changes were made to the questionnaire based on feedback from previous respondents. The revised questionnaire, including 20 potential barriers, was pilot tested in 3 hospitals in North America. Nurses were asked to rate each item based on the degree to which it hinders the provision of EN in their intensive care unit (ICU). The acceptability of the revised questionnaire was evaluated using 5 open-ended questions appended at the end of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 81 nurses completed the revised barriers questionnaire. A total of 72 of 73 (99%) respondents felt that the questionnaire was easy to understand, and 64 of 73 (88%) felt that the individual questions were clear. On average, respondents rated the degree to which potential barriers hindered the delivery of EN to the patient as "very little" or "a little." Statistically significantly differences in mean responses were observed across the 3 ICUs for 8 of the 20 items. The indices of internal reliability were assessed to be acceptable.

CONCLUSIONS

The revised questionnaire to assess barriers to EN seems acceptable and clinically sensible and now appears to comprehensively list all possible modifiable barriers to delivering EN. This questionnaire needs further study to determine whether measuring barriers with this questionnaire can translate into improved EN delivery to critically ill patients.

Implementing a multifaceted tailored intervention to improve nutrition adequacy in critically ill patients: results of a multicenter feasibility study

Introduction

Tailoring interventions to address identified barriers to change may be an effective strategy to implement guidelines and improve practice. However, there is inadequate data to inform the optimal method or level of tailoring. Consequently, we conducted the PERFormance Enhancement of the Canadian nutrition guidelines by a Tailored Implementation Strategy (PERFECTIS) study to determine the feasibility of a multifaceted, interdisciplinary, tailored intervention aimed at improving adherence to critical care nutrition guidelines for the provision of enteral nutrition.

Methods

A before-after study was conducted in seven ICUs from five hospitals in North America. During a 3-month pre-implementation phase, each ICU completed a nutrition practice audit to identify guideline-practice gaps and a barriers assessment to identify obstacles to practice change. During a one day meeting, the results of the audit and barriers assessment were reviewed and used to develop a site-specific tailored action plan. The tailored action plan was then implemented over a 12-month period that included bi-monthly progress meetings. Compliance with the tailored action plan was determined by the proportion of items in the action plan that was completely implemented. We examined acceptability of the intervention through staff responses to an evaluation questionnaire. In addition, the nutrition practice audit and barriers survey were repeated at the end of the implementation phase to determine changes in barriers and nutrition practices.

Results

All five sites successfully completed all aspects of the study. However, their ability to fully implement all of their developed action plans varied from 14% to 75% compliance. Nurses, on average, rated the study-related activities and resources as ‘somewhat useful’ and a third of respondents ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that their nutrition practice had changed as a result of the intervention. We observed a statistically significant 10% (Site range -4.3% to -26.0%) decrease in overall barriers score, and a non-significant 6% (Site range -1.5% to 17.9%) and 4% (-8.3% to 18.2%) increase in the adequacy of total nutrition from calories and protein, respectively.

Conclusions

The multifaceted tailored intervention appears to be feasible but further refinement is warranted prior to testing the effectiveness of the approach on a larger scale.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01168128. Registered 21 July 2010.

The validation of a questionnaire to assess barriers to enteral feeding in critically ill patients: a multicenter international survey

Background

A growing body of literature supports the need to identify and address barriers to knowledge use as a strategy to improve care delivery. To this end, we developed a questionnaire to assess barriers to enterally feeding critically ill adult patients, and sought to gain evidence to support the construct validity of this instrument by testing the hypothesis that barriers identified by the questionnaire are inversely associated with nutrition performance.

Methods

We conducted a multilevel multivariable regression analysis of data from an observational study in 55 Intensive Care Units (ICUs) from 5 geographic regions. Data on nutrition practices were abstracted from 1153 patient charts, and 1439 critical care nurses completed the ‘Barriers to Enterally Feeding critically Ill Patients’ questionnaire. Our primary outcome was adequacy of calories from enteral nutrition (proportion of prescribed calories received enterally) and our primary predictor of interest was a barrier score derived from ratings of importance of items in the questionnaire.

Results

The mean adequacy of calories from enteral nutrition was 48 (Standard Deviation (SD)17)%. Evaluation for confounding identified patient type, proportion of nurse respondents working in the ICU greater than 5 years, and geographic region as important covariates. In a regression model adjusting for these covariates plus evaluable nutrition days and APACHE II score, we observed that a 10 point increase in overall barrier score is associated with a 3.5 (Standard Error (SE)1.3)% decrease in enteral nutrition adequacy (p-values <0.01).

Conclusion

Our results provide evidence to support our a priori hypothesis that barriers negatively impact the provision of nutrition in ICUs, suggesting that our recently developed questionnaire may be a promising tool to identify these important factors, and guide the selection of interventions to optimize nutrition practice. Further research is required to illuminate if and how the type of barrier, profession of the provider, and geographic location of the hospital may influence this association.

Development and psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess barriers to feeding critically ill patients

Background

To successfully implement the recommendations of critical care nutrition guidelines, one potential approach is to identify barriers to providing optimal enteral nutrition (EN) in the intensive care unit (ICU), and then address these barriers systematically. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess barriers to enterally feeding critically ill patients and to conduct preliminary validity testing of the new instrument.

Methods

The content of the questionnaire was guided by a published conceptual framework, literature review, and consultation with experts. The questionnaire was pre-tested on a convenience sample of 32 critical care practitioners, and then field tested with 186 critical care providers working at 5 hospitals in North America. The revised questionnaire was pilot tested at another ICU (n = 43). Finally, the questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of ICU nurses twice, two weeks apart, to determine test retest reliability (n = 17). Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach alpha, intraclass correlations (ICC), and kappa coefficients were conducted to assess validity and reliability.

Results

We developed a questionnaire with 26 potential barriers to delivery of EN asking respondents to rate their importance as barriers in their ICU. Face and content validity of the questionnaire was established through literature review and expert input. The factor analysis indicated a five-factor solution and accounted for 72% of the variance in barriers: guideline recommendations and implementation strategies, delivery of EN to the patient, critical care provider attitudes and behavior, dietitian support, and ICU resources. Overall, the indices of internal reliability for the derived factor subscales and the overall instrument were acceptable (subscale Cronbach alphas range 0.84 – 0.89). However, the test retest reliability was variable and below acceptable thresholds for the majority of items (ICC’s range −0.13 to 0.70). The within group agreement, an indices reflecting the reliability of aggregating individual responses to the ICU level was also variable (ICC’s range 0.0 to 0.82).

Conclusions

We developed a questionnaire to identify barriers to enteral feeding in critically ill patients. Additional studies are planned to further revise and evaluate the reliability and validity of the instrument.