Preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults: sowing seeds of change

Therapeutic effects of deep pharyngeal electrical stimulation combined with modified masako maneuver on aspiration in patients with stroke

BACKGROUND

Stroke patients often experience difficulty swallowing.

OBJECTIVE

To assist in the improvement of dysphagia symptoms by introducing a novel approach to the treatment of patients with post-stroke aspiration.

METHODS

A total of 60 patients with post-stroke aspiration were enrolled and divided into an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). The control group received standard treatment, sham intraoral stimulation, and the Masako maneuver, while the experimental group was administered standard treatment, deep pharyngeal electrical stimulation (DPES), and a modified Masako maneuver. Changes in their Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) and Rosenbek scale scores were observed.

RESULTS

The FOIS scores of both groups increased significantly after treatment (p < 0.01, respectively). The Rosenbek scale scores of both groups decreased significantly after treatment, with the experimental group scoring significantly lower than the control group (1.01±0.09 vs. 2.30±0.82) (p < 0.05). After treatment, the overall response rate in the experimental group (93.33%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (83.33%) (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In terms of effectively improving dysphagia in aspiration patients after stroke, DPES combined with modified Masako maneuver is clinically recommended.

Implementing strategies to prevent infections in acute-care settings

This document introduces and explains common implementation concepts and frameworks relevant to healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention and control and can serve as a stand-alone guide or be paired with the "SHEA/IDSA/APIC Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2022 Updates," which contain technical implementation guidance for specific healthcare-associated infections. This Compendium article focuses on broad behavioral and socio-adaptive concepts and suggests ways that infection prevention and control teams, healthcare epidemiologists, infection preventionists, and specialty groups may utilize them to deliver high-quality care. Implementation concepts, frameworks, and models can help bridge the "knowing-doing" gap, a term used to describe why practices in healthcare may diverge from those recommended according to evidence. It aims to guide the reader to think about implementation and to find resources suited for a specific setting and circumstances by describing strategies for implementation, including determinants and measurement, as well as the conceptual models and frameworks: 4Es, Behavior Change Wheel, CUSP, European and Mixed Methods, Getting to Outcomes, Model for Improvement, RE-AIM, REP, and Theoretical Domains.

Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia, ventilator-associated events, and nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update

The purpose of this document is to highlight practical recommendations to assist acute care hospitals to prioritize and implement strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), ventilator-associated events (VAE), and non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) in adults, children, and neonates. This document updates the Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals published in 2014. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology (SHEA), and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Hospital Association, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise.

Are there variations in timing to tracheostomy in a tertiary academic medical center?

BACKGROUND

It is unclear what drives variation in timing to tracheostomy among different patients.

METHODS

Age, ethnicity, admission service, and income were retrospectively collected for patients undergoing tracheostomy in a Level 1 trauma center from 2007 to 2017. The primary outcome was time to tracheostomy with early tracheostomy (ET) or late tracheotomy (LT) defined as 3-7 or ≥ 10 days post-intubation, respectively. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS), ventilator associated pneumonia, and mortality.

RESULTS

Among 1,640 patients, more men had ET compared to women (30% vs 28%; p = 0.05). The mean time to tracheostomy was 11.2 ± 7.7 days. Neurology and trauma patients had significantly shorter time to tracheostomy compared to other services. Age, ethnicity, and income showed no differences in timing to tracheostomy. Patients who underwent LT had a longer LOS (46 vs 32 days, p < 0.01) and higher mortality (19% vs 13% p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

There were no disparities in timing to tracheostomy based on age, ethnicity, or income. We detected a hesitation in performing tracheostomies by certain providers with shorter LOS and improved mortality in ET.

Synbiotics for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a probiotics strain-specific network meta-analysis

Objective

Probiotics may be efficacious in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The aim of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to clarify the efficacy of different types of probiotics for preventing VAP.

Methods

This systematic review and NMA was conducted according to the updated preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature search of public databases from inception to 17 June 2018 was performed.

Results

NMA showed that “Bifidobacterium longum + Lactobacillus bulgaricus + Streptococcus thermophiles” was more efficacious than “Ergyphilus” in preventing VAP (odds ratio: 0.15, 95% confidence interval: 0.03–0.94). According to pairwise meta-analysis, “B. longum + L. bulgaricus + S. thermophiles” and “Lactobacillus rhamnosus” were superior to placebo in preventing VAP. Treatment rank based on surface under the cumulative ranking curves revealed that the most efficacious treatment for preventing VAP was “B. longum + L. bulgaricus + S. thermophiles” (66%). In terms of reducing hospital mortality and ICU mortality, the most efficacious treatment was Synbiotic 2000FORTE (34% and 46%, respectively).

Conclusions

Based on efficacy ranking, “B. longum + L. bulgaricus + S. thermophiles” should be the first choice for prevention of VAP, while Synbiotic 2000FORTE has the potential to reduce in-hospital mortality and ICU mortality.

Impact of subglottic secretion drainage on microaspiration in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study

Background

Microaspiration is a major factor in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) pathophysiology. Subglottic secretion drainage (SSD) aims at reducing its incidence.

Methods

Single-center prospective observational study, performed in a French intensive care unit (ICU) from March 2012 to April 2013, including adult patients mechanically ventilated for at least 24 hours divided in two groups: patients in the SSD group intubated using tracheal tubes allowing SSD and patients in the control group intubated with standard tracheal tubes. Pepsin and salivary amylase concentrations were measured for 24 hours in all tracheal aspirates. Primary objective was to determine the impact of SSD on gastric or oropharyngeal microaspiration using pepsin or amylase concentration in tracheal aspirates.

Results

Fifty-five patients were included in the SSD group and 45 in the control group. No difference was found between groups regarding the incidence of microaspiration defined as at least one tracheal aspirate positive for either pepsin or amylase [49 (89%) vs. 37 (82%), P=0.469]. Percentage of patients with VAP [16 (29%) vs. 11 (24%), P=0.656], ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) [7 (13%) vs. 4 (9%), P=0.750] or early airway colonization [15 (35%) vs. 8 (18%), P=0.219] were not significantly different in study groups.

Conclusions

SSD did not reduce the incidence of microaspiration, VAP, VAT or airway colonization in this observational study.

Safety and efficacy of N-acetyl-cysteine for prophylaxis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Ventilator-associated-pneumonia (VAP) is characterized by morbidity, mortality, and prolonged length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU). The present study aimed to examine the effect of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) in preventing VAP in patients hospitalized in ICU. We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 60 mechanically ventilated patients at high risk of developing VAP. NAC (600 mg/twice daily) and placebo (twice daily) were administered to NAC group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30), respectively, through the nasogastric tube in addition to routine care. The clinical response was considered as primary (incidence of VAP) and secondary outcomes. Twenty-two (36.6%) patients developed VAP. Patients treated with NAC were significantly less likely to develop clinically confirmed VAP compared with patients treated with placebo (26.6% vs. 46.6%; P = 0.032). Patients treated with NAC had significantly less ICU length of stay (14.36 ± 4.69 days vs. 17.81 ± 6.37 days, P = 0.028) and less hospital stay (19.23 ± 5.54 days vs. 24.61 ± 6.81 days; P = 0.03) than patients treated with placebo. Time to VAP was significantly longer in the NAC group (9.42 ± 1.9 days vs. 6.46 ± 2.53 days; P = 0.002). The incidence of complete recovery was significantly higher in the NAC group (56.6% vs. 30%; P = 0.006). No adverse events related to NAC were identified. NAC is safe and effective to prevent and delay VAP, and improve its complete recovery rate in a selected, high-risk ICU population.

Antibiotic consumption and ventilator-associated pneumonia rates, some parallelism but some discrepancies

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common infection in intensive care units (ICUs) but its clinical definition is neither sensitive nor specific and lacks accuracy and objectivity. New defining criteria were proposed in 2013 by the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) in order to more accurately conduct surveillance and track prevention progress. Although there is a consistent trend towards a decrease in VAP incidence during the last decade, significant differences in VAP rates have been reported and are persistently lower in NHSN and other American reports (0.0 to 4.4 VAP per 1,000 ventilator-days in 2012) compared to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) data (10 VAP per 1,000 ventilator-days in 2014). In the United States, VAP has been proposed as an indicator of quality of care in public reporting, and the threat of financial penalties for this diagnosis has put pressure on hospitals to minimize VAP rates that may lead to artificial lower values, independently of patient care. Although prevention bundles may contribute for encouraging reductions in VAP incidence, both pathophysiologic and epidemiologic factors preclude a zero-VAP rate. It would be expected from the trend of reduction of VAP incidence that the consumption of antibiotics would also decrease in particular in those hospitals with lowest VAP rates. However, ICU reports show a steadily use of antibiotics for nosocomial pneumonia in 15% of patients and both ECDC and NHSN data on antibiotic consumption showed no significant trend. Knowledge of bacterial epidemiology and resistance profiles for each ICU has great relevance in order to understand trends of antibiotic use. The new NHSN criteria provide a more objective and quantitative data based VAP definition, including an antibiotic administration criterion, allowing, in theory, a more comprehensive assessment and a reportable benchmark of the observed VAP and antibiotic consumption variability.

Bacterial Infection during Adult Donor Care

Assessment, prevention, and treatment of bacterial infection in donors are critically important to the welfare of grafts and recipients after transplantation. Transmission of bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan infections from a donor to recipient(s) has been documented to have serious or fatal consequences. This article reviews issues of bacterial infection only. The organ procurement coordinator, supported by guidelines developed and prospectively modified by the organ procurement organization, must assess the donor for the presence and severity of bacterial tissue invasion and administer appropriate antimicrobial agents during donor care. Continuation of infection control measures, obtaining serial or surveillance samples for culture, review of antibiotic sensitivity data, initiation of empiric treatment, and modification of medications or their dosing are components of this important responsibility during donor care.

Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update

Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and other ventilator-associated events (VAEs) and to improve outcomes for mechanically ventilated adults, children, and neonates. This document updates "Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals," published in 2008. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.

Nodular tracheobronchitis in a patient with lymphoma: an unusual presentation of viridans streptococcal respiratory tract infection

Bacterial tracheobronchitis without lung parenchymal involvement is extremely rare in adults, except in patients who are intubated or mechanically ventilated. We present a case of nodular tracheobronchitis caused by viridans streptococci in a non-ventilated lymphoma patient. To our knowledge, this is the first report of viridans streptococcal infection that has caused nodular tracheobronchitis.

Periodontal systemic associations: review of the evidence

AIM

To critically appraise recent research into associations between periodontal disease and systemic diseases and conditions specifically respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive impairment, obesity, metabolic syndrome and cancer.

METHODS

A MEDLINE literature search of papers published between 2002 and April 2012 was conducted. Studies that included periodontitis as an exposure were identified. Cross-sectional epidemiological investigations on large samples, prospective studies and systematic reviews formed the basis of the narrative review. A threshold set for the identification of periodontitis was used to identify those studies that contributed to the conclusions of the review.

RESULTS

Many of the investigations were cross-sectional secondary analyses of existing data sets in particular the NHANES studies. There were a small number of systematic reviews and prospective studies. There was substantial variability in the definitions of exposure to periodontitis. A small number of studies met the threshold set for periodontitis and supported associations; however, in some of the chronic diseases there were no such studies. There was strong evidence from randomized controlled trials that interventions, which improve oral hygiene have positive effects on the prevention of nosocomial pneumonias.

CONCLUSIONS

There was substantial heterogeneity in the definitions used to identify periodontitis and very few studies met a stringent threshold for periodontitis. Published evidence supports modest associations between periodontitis and some, although not all, of the diseases and conditions reviewed. There is a need to reach a consensus on what constitutes periodontitis for future studies of putative associations with systemic diseases.

Periodontal systemic associations: review of the evidence

AIM

To critically appraise recent research into associations between periodontal disease and systemic diseases and conditions specifically respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive impairment, obesity, metabolic syndrome and cancer.

METHODS

A MEDLINE literature search of papers published between 2002 and April 2012 was conducted. Studies that included periodontitis as an exposure were identified. Cross-sectional epidemiological investigations on large samples, prospective studies and systematic reviews formed the basis of the narrative review. A threshold set for the identification of periodontitis was used to identify those studies that contributed to the conclusions of the review.

RESULTS

Many of the investigations were cross-sectional secondary analyses of existing data sets in particular the NHANES studies. There were a small number of systematic reviews and prospective studies. There was substantial variability in the definitions of exposure to periodontitis. A small number of studies met the threshold set for periodontitis and supported associations; however, in some of the chronic diseases there were no such studies. There was strong evidence from randomized controlled trials that interventions, which improve oral hygiene have positive effects on the prevention of nosocomial pneumonias.

CONCLUSIONS

There was substantial heterogeneity in the definitions used to identify periodontitis and very few studies met a stringent threshold for periodontitis. Published evidence supports modest associations between periodontitis and some, although not all, of the diseases and conditions reviewed. There is a need to reach a consensus on what constitutes periodontitis for future studies of putative associations with systemic diseases.

The effectiveness of a bundle in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a bundle called FAST HUG in ventilator-associated pneumonia, weigh the healthcare costs of ventilator-associated pneumonia patients in the intensive care unit, and hospital mortality due to ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Material and methods

The study was performed in a private hospital that has an 8-bed intensive care unit. It was divided into two phases: before implementing FAST HUG, from August 2011 to August 2012 and after the implementation of FAST HUG, from September 2012 to December 2013. An individual form for each patient in the study was filled out by using information taken electronically from the hospital medical records. The following data was obtained from each patient: age, gender, reason for hospitalization, use of three or more antibiotics, length of stay, intubation time, and outcome.

Results

After the implementation of FAST HUG, there was an observable decrease in the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (p < 0.01), as well as a reduction in mortality rates (p < 0.01). In addition, the intervention resulted in a significant reduction in intensive care unit hospital costs (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The implementation of FAST HUG reduced the number of ventilator-associated pneumonia cases. Thus, decreasing costs, reducing mortality rates and length of stay, which therefore resulted in an improvement to the overall quality of care.

Who Gets Early Tracheostomy?: Evidence of Unequal Treatment at 185 Academic Medical Centers

BACKGROUND

Although the benefits of early tracheostomy in patients dependent on ventilators are well established, the reasons for variation in time from intubation to tracheostomy remain unclear. We identified clinical and demographic disparities in time to tracheostomy.

METHODS

We performed a level 3 retrospective prognostic study by querying the University HealthSystem Consortium (2007-2010) for adult patients receiving a tracheostomy after initial intubation. Time to tracheostomy was designated early (< 7 days) or late (> 10 days). Cohorts were stratified by time to tracheostomy and compared using univariate tests of association and multivariable adjusted models.

RESULTS

A total of 49,191 patients underwent tracheostomy after initial intubation: 42% early (n = 21,029) and 58% late (n = 28,162). On both univariate and multivariable analyses, women, blacks, Hispanics, and patients receiving Medicaid were less likely to receive an early tracheostomy. Patients in the early group also experienced lower rates of mortality (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.79-0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

Early tracheostomy was associated with increased survival. Yet, there were still significant disparities in time to tracheostomy according to sex, race, and type of insurance. Application of evidence-based algorithms for tracheostomy may reduce unequal treatment and improve overall mortality rates. Additional research into this apparent bias in referral/rendering of tracheostomy is needed.

Silver-coated endotracheal tubes for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients

BACKGROUND

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common nosocomial infections in intubated and mechanically ventilated patients. Endotracheal tubes (ETTs) appear to be an independent risk factor for VAP. Silver-coated ETTs slowly release silver cations. It is these silver ions that appear to have a strong antimicrobial effect. Because of this antimicrobial effect of silver, silver-coated ETTs could be an effective intervention to prevent VAP in people who require mechanical ventilation for 24 hours or longer.

OBJECTIVES

Our primary objective was to investigate whether silver-coated ETTs are effective in reducing the risk of VAP and hospital mortality in comparison with standard non-coated ETTs in people who require mechanical ventilation for 24 hours or longer. Our secondary objective was to ascertain whether silver-coated ETTs are effective in reducing the following clinical outcomes: device-related adverse events, duration of intubation, length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, costs, and time to VAP onset.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2014 Issue 10, MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBSCO CINAHL, and reference lists of trials. We contacted corresponding authors for additional information and unpublished studies. We did not impose any restrictions on the basis of date of publication or language. The date of the last search was October 2014.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-randomized trials that evaluated the effects of silver-coated ETTs or a combination of silver with any antimicrobial-coated ETTs with standard non-coated ETTs or with other antimicrobial-coated ETTs in critically ill people who required mechanical ventilation for 24 hours or longer. We also included studies that evaluated the cost-effectiveness of silver-coated ETTs or a combination of silver with any antimicrobial-coated ETTs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors (GT, HV) independently extracted the data and summarized study details from all included studies using the specially designed data extraction form. We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. We performed meta-analysis for outcomes when possible.

MAIN RESULTS

We found three eligible randomized controlled trials, with a total of 2081 participants. One of the three included studies did not mention the amount of participants and presented no outcome data. The 'Risk of bias' assessment indicated that there was a high risk of detection bias owing to lack of blinding of outcomes assessors, but we assessed all other domains to be at low risk of bias. Trial design and conduct were generally adequate, with the most common areas of weakness in blinding. The majority of participants were included in centres across North America. The mean age of participants ranged from 61 to 64 years, and the mean duration of intubation was between 3.2 and 7.7 days. One trial comparing silver-coated ETTs versus non-coated ETTs showed a statistically significant decrease in VAP in favour of the silver-coated ETT (1 RCT, 1509 participants; 4.8% versus 7.5%, risk ratio (RR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43 to 0.96; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 37; low-quality evidence). The risk of VAP within 10 days of intubation was significantly lower with the silver-coated ETTs compared with non-coated ETTs (1 RCT, 1509 participants; 3.5% versus 6.7%, RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.82; NNTB = 32; low-quality evidence). Silver-coated ETT was associated with delayed time to VAP occurrence compared with non-coated ETT (1 RCT, 1509 participants; hazard ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.84). The confidence intervals for the results of the following outcomes did not exclude potentially important differences with either treatment. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in hospital mortality (1 RCT, 1509 participants; 30.4% versus 26.6%, RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.29; low-quality evidence); device-related adverse events (2 RCTs, 2081 participants; RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.16; low-quality evidence); duration of intubation; and length of hospital and ICU stay. We found no clinical studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness of silver-coated ETTs.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review provides limited evidence that silver-coated ETT reduces the risk of VAP, especially during the first 10 days of mechanical ventilation.

Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in acute care hospitals: 2014 update

Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and other ventilator-associated events (VAEs) and to improve outcomes for mechanically ventilated adults, children, and neonates. This document updates “Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals,” published in 2008. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.

Collaborative Cohort Study of an Intervention to Reduce Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the Intensive Care Unit

Objective.

To evaluate the impact of a multifaceted intervention on compliance with evidence-based therapies and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates.

Design.

Collaborative cohort before-after study.

Setting.

Intensive care units (ICUs) predominantly in Michigan.

Interventions.

We implemented a multifaceted intervention to improve compliance with 5 evidence-based recommendations for mechanically ventilated patients and to prevent VAP. A standardized CDC definition of VAP was used and maintained at each site, and data on the number of VAPs and ventilator-days were obtained from the hospital's infection preventionists. Baseline data were reported and postimplementation data were reported for 30 months. VAP rates (in cases per 1,000 ventilator-days) were calculated as the proportion of ventilator-days per quarter in which patients received all 5 therapies in the ventilator care bundle. Two interventions to improve safety culture and communication were implemented first.

Results.

One hundred twelve ICUs reporting 3,228 ICU-months and 550,800 ventilator-days were included. The overall median VAP rate decreased from 5.5 cases (mean, 6.9 cases) per 1,000 ventilator-days at baseline to 0 cases (mean, 3.4 cases) at 16–18 months after implementation (P < .001) and 0 cases (mean, 2.4 cases) at 28-30 months after implementation (P < .001). Compared to baseline, VAP rates decreased during all observation periods, with incidence rate ratios of 0.51 (95% confidence interval, 0.41–0.64) at 16–18 months after implementation and 0.29 (95% confidence interval, 0.24–0.34) at 28–30 months after implementation. Compliance with evidence-based therapies increased from 32% at baseline to 75% at 16–18 months after implementation (P < .001) and 84% at 28–30 months after implementation (P < .001).

Conclusions.

A multifaceted intervention was associated with an increased use of evidence-based therapies and a substantial (up to 71%) and sustained (up to 2.5 years) decrease in VAP rates.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a Silver-Coated Endotracheal Tube to Reduce the Incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Objective.

To conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the economic outcomes of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention associated with silver-coated endotracheal tubes versus uncoated endotracheal tubes.

Design.

We used a simple decision model based on a hypothetical 1,000-patient cohort intubated with silver-coated or uncoated endotracheal tubes. The primary end point was marginal hospital savings per case of VAP prevented (savings from using silver-coated endotracheal tubes minus acquisition cost divided by number of VAP cases prevented).

Methods.

We followed each branch of the decision model to VAP or no VAP and conducted Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analyses. Inputs for VAP incidence, relative risk reduction, and hospital costs were derived from publicly available sources. Relative risk reduction was derived from the pivotal study of the silver-coated endotracheal tube.

Results.

In the base-case analysis, we reduced the pivotal study relative risk in incidence of microbiologically confirmed VAP in patients intubated ≥24 hours from 35.9% to 24%. Thus, 23 of 97 expected cases of VAP could be prevented with silver-coated endotracheal tubes. The savings per case of VAP prevented was $12,840 in the base case, with assumed marginal VAP cost of $16,620 and costs of $90.00 for coated and $2.00 for uncoated endotracheal tubes. Estimates were most sensitive to assumptions regarding VAP cost and relative risk reduction with silver-coated endotracheal tubes. Nonetheless, in multivariate sensitivity analyses, the silver-coated endotracheal tubes yielded persistent savings (95% confidence interval, $9,630-$16,356) per case of VAP prevented. With other base-case inputs held constant, breakeven cost for silver-coated endotracheal tubes was $388.

Conclusions.

The silver-coated endotracheal tube represents a strategy for preventing VAP that may yield hospital savings.

Respiratory secretion analyses in the evaluation of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a survey of current practice in pediatric critical care

OBJECTIVE

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is among the most common nosocomial infections in the PICU. Respiratory secretion cultures and Gram stains are frequently obtained for diagnosis and to guide therapy, but their specificity is questionable. We conducted a scenario-based survey of pediatric intensivists to assess their antibiotic use in response to hypothetical tracheal aspirate culture and Gram stain results.

DESIGN

Scenario-based survey.

SETTING

A hypothetical PICU.

PATIENTS

Three hypothetical scenarios of intubated children with fever and leukocytosis: a 4-month-old child with respiratory syncytial virus infection; a 7-year-old child with acute respiratory distress syndrome; and a 10-year-old child with aspiration pneumonia.

INTERVENTIONS

Scenario-based survey of pediatric intensivists from the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Network.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Ninety-four percent of the pediatric intensivists surveyed would obtain a respiratory secretion culture and Gram stain in the evaluation of an intubated child with fever and leukocytosis, most by simple tracheal aspiration but a minority (32%) by bronchoalveolar lavage. "Bacterial pathogenicity" was considered the most important result of the analysis. Although there were some differences across the three scenarios, most would initiate antibiotics if culture results identified methicillin-sensitive or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas and, on average, continue antibiotics for 7-10 days.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of pediatric intensivists would obtain respiratory secretion cultures and Gram stains in the evaluation of an intubated child with fever and leukocytosis and initiate antibiotics guided by the results. The specificity of respiratory secretion cultures and Gram stains for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia requires critical evaluation as this diagnosis is responsible for more than half of antibiotic use in the PICU.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients admitted to intensive care units, using open or closed endotracheal suctioning

Background:

Critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation require frequent suctioning of airway secretion. Closed suction permits suctioning without disconnection from ventilator; so it might decrease hypoxemia and infection rate.

Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of closed tracheal suction system (CTSS) versus open tracheal suction system (OTSS).

Patients and Methods:

This is a prospective randomized study, which was carried on 100 patients in surgical Intensive Care Unit requiring mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours from June 2012 to November 2013. In two groups, suction was performed based on the patients' need as well as physician's or nurses' decision on tracheal secretions. Patients randomly allocated into two groups (50 patients each): CTSS group and OTSS group. Patients were monitored for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) during the study. Throat samples were taken on admission and two times per week from each patient. Tracheal samples were performed during endotracheal intubation, two times per week during mechanical ventilation and during extubation.

Results:

Drainage of subglottic secretions decreased the incidence of VAP (P < 0.05). Also type of the pharmacologic medicine for stress ulcer prophylaxis has significant effect on VAP incidence. Among the patients in OTSS and CTSS groups, 20% and 12% developed VAP, respectively. Use of CTSS compared with OTSS did not show statistically significant effect on VAP incidence in multivariate analysis; however, OR (odds ratio) tended to identify OTSS as an exposure factor for the development of VAP (OR = 1.92; CI = 0.45-8.30; = 0.38) compared with the CTSS. Higher levels of APACHE II score, sinusitis and tracheostomy put the patients at the risk of VAP. However, using heat and moisture exchanger (HME) instead of humidifier decreased this risk.

Conclusions:

Based on the results obtained from our study, impact of suctioning is similar between CTSS and OTSS regarding the occurrence of VAP. It seems that physicians must consider many factors such as duration of mechanical ventilation, comorbidities, oxygenation parameters, number of required suctioning, and the cost prior to using each type of tracheal suction system.

Impact of subglottic suctioning on the incidence of pneumonia after cardiac surgery: a retrospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

Continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions (CASS) has been found to decrease the incidence of pneumonia in the general intensive care unit (ICU) population, but its benefit in cardiac surgery patients is unclear. The present study aimed to determine whether the routine use of CASS in cardiac surgical patients was associated with decreased pneumonia.

DESIGN

A retrospective, single-center observational study.

SETTING

The study was conducted in a quaternary care cardiac surgery center and university research hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

4,880 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were studied.

INTERVENTIONS

The control group (no CASS) received a standard endotracheal tube and underwent surgery between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2009. The intervention group (CASS) received a subglottic suctioning endotracheal tube and underwent surgery between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2011. The primary outcome was the development of pneumonia, and the secondary outcomes were 30-day in-hospital mortality, ventilation time, need for tracheostomy, ICU length of stay (LOS), and hospital LOS.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The unadjusted incidence of pneumonia was 1.9% in the CASS group and 5.6% in the control group (p<0.0001). The CASS group also had lower 30-day in-hospital mortality (2.1% v 3.3%; p = 0.007), median ventilation time (8.42 v 7.3 hours; p<0.0001), and shorter median ICU LOS (1.77 v 1.17 days; p<0.0004) compared with the control group. Tracheostomy rates and median hospital LOS did not differ between groups. After adjusting using multivariable modeling, CASS remained an independent risk predictor for pneumonia (odds ratio [OR] 0.342, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.239-0.490) and ICU LOS (OR 0.817, 95% CI 0.718-0.931).

CONCLUSIONS

The universal implementation of CASS in a quaternary care cardiac surgical population was associated with a decreased incidence of pneumonia.

Acinetobacter baumannii infection in prior ICU bed occupants is an independent risk factor for subsequent cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to Acinetobacter baumannii (AbVAP) in critically ill patients.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational study conducted in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a district hospital (6 beds). Consecutive patients were eligible for enrolment if they required mechanical ventilation for >48 hours and hospitalization for >72 hours. Clinical, microbiological, and laboratory parameters were assessed as risk factors for AbVAP by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

193 patients were included in the study. Overall, VAP incidence was 23.8% and AbVAP, 11.4%. Previous hospitalization of another patient with Acinetobacter baumannii infection was the only independent risk factor for AbVAP (OR (95% CI) 12.016 (2.282-19.521) P < 0.001). ICU stay (25 ± 17 versus 12 ± 9  P < 0.001), the incidence of other infections (OR (95% CI) 9.485 (1.640-10.466) P = 0.002) (urinary tract infection, catheter related infection, and bacteremia), or sepsis (OR (95% CI) 10.400 (3.749-10.466) P < 0.001) were significantly increased in patients with AbVAP compared to patients without VAP; no difference was found with respect to ICU mortality.

CONCLUSION

ICU admission or the hospitalization of patients infected by Acinetobacter baumannii increases the risk of AbVAP by subsequent patients.

Strategies to enhance adoption of ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention interventions: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is among the most lethal of all healthcare-associated infections. Guidelines summarize interventions to prevent VAP, but translating recommendations into practice is an art unto itself.

OBJECTIVE

Summarize strategies to enhance adoption of VAP prevention interventions.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review of articles in the MEDLINE database published between 2002 and 2012. We selected articles on the basis of specific inclusion criteria. We used structured forms to abstract implementation strategies and inserted them into the "engage, educate, execute, and evaluate" framework.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven articles met our inclusion criteria. Engagement strategies included multidisciplinary teamwork, involvement of local champions, and networking among peers. Educational strategies included training sessions and developing succinct summaries of the evidence. Execution strategies included standardization of care processes and building redundancies into routine care. Evaluation strategies included measuring performance and providing feedback to staff.

CONCLUSION

We summarized and organized practical implementation strategies in a framework to enhance adoption of recommended evidence-based practices. We believe this work fills an important void in most clinical practice guidelines, and broad use of these strategies may expedite VAP reduction efforts.

Nosocomial and ventilator-associated pneumonia in a community hospital intensive care unit: a retrospective review and analysis

Background

Nosocomial and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are causes of significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. We analyzed a) the incidence and the outcome of pneumonias caused by different pathogens in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a medium-sized twenty-four bed community hospital and b) the incidence of complications of such pneumonias requiring surgical intervention such as thoracotomy and decortication.

Results

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients diagnosed with nosocomial and ventilator-associated pneumonia in our ICU. Their bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and sputum cultures, antibiograms, and other clinical characteristics, including complications and need for tracheostomy, thoracotomy and decortication were studied. In a span of one year (2011–12), 43 patients were diagnosed with nosocomial pneumonia in our ICU. The median simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II) was 39. One or more gram negative organisms as the causative agents were present in 85% of microbiologic samples. The three most prevalent gram negatives were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (34%), Pseudomonas aeurginosa (40%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (32%). Twenty eight percent of bronchoalveolar samples contained Staphylococcus aureus. Eight three percent of patients required mechanical ventilation postoperatively and 37% underwent tracheostony. Thirty five percent underwent thoracotomy and decortication because of further complications such as empyema and non-resolving parapneumonic effusions. A. baumannii, Klebsiella pneumonia extended spectrum beta lactam (ESBL) and P. aeurginosa had the highest prevalence of multi drug resistance (MDR). Fifteen patients required surgical intervention. Mortality from pneumonia was 37% and from surgery was 2%.

Conclusion

Nosocomial pneumonias, in particular the ones that were caused by gram negative drug resistant organisms and their ensuing complications which required thoracotomy and decortication, were the cause of significant morbidity in our intensive care unit. Preventative and more intensive and novel infection control interventions in reducing the incidence of nosocomial pneumonias are strongly emphasized.

A Retrospective Review of Patients Managed with the Pneux PY™ VAP Prevention System

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is commonplace in intensive care and has implications for patients' morbidity and mortality in hospital. A range of interventions exists to prevent the development of VAP. We reviewed the impact of the PneuX PY™ VAP prevention system on the incidence of VAP and its effects on local practice. In total, 48 patients in a mixed medical and surgical intensive care unit received the PneuX PY VAP prevention system and its associated care package in 2010. The VAP rate for this cohort of patients was found to be 6.25% (n=3) in the local context of historical VAP rates above 26%. Notably, 17% of extubations were unplanned, of which almost two-thirds were self-extubations. The PneuX PY VAP prevention system facilitated lower VAP rates than those documented elsewhere and highlighted the incidence of unplanned extubations in local practice. Further evaluation of the implementation of the PneuX PY VAP prevention system in intensive care areas, in tandem with large-scale evaluation of its effectiveness, are still required.

Bugs or drugs: are probiotics safe for use in the critically ill?

Probiotics are living microorganisms which have demonstrated many benefits in prevention, mitigation, and treatment of various disease states in critically ill populations. These diseases include antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile diarrhea, ventilator-associated pneumonia, clearance of vancomycin-resistant enterococci from the GI tract, pancreatitis, liver transplant, major abdominal surgery, and trauma. However, their use has been severely limited due to a variety of factors including a general naïveté within the physician community, lack of regulation, and safety concerns. This article focuses on uses for probiotics in prevention and treatment, addresses current concerns regarding their use as well as proposing a protocol for safe use of probiotics in the critically ill patient.

Bioengineered lysozyme reduces bacterial burden and inflammation in a murine model of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection

The spread of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens is a growing global concern and has prompted an effort to explore potential adjuvant and alternative therapies derived from nature's repertoire of bactericidal proteins and peptides. In humans, the airway surface liquid layer is a rich source of antibiotics, and lysozyme represents one of the most abundant and effective antimicrobial components of airway secretions. Human lysozyme is active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, acting through several mechanisms, including catalytic degradation of cell wall peptidoglycan and subsequent bacterial lysis. In the infected lung, however, lysozyme's dense cationic character can result in sequestration and inhibition by polyanions associated with airway inflammation. As a result, the efficacy of the native enzyme may be compromised in the infected and inflamed lung. To address this limitation, we previously constructed a charge-engineered variant of human lysozyme that was less prone to electrostatic-mediated inhibition in vitro. Here, we employ a murine model to show that this engineered enzyme is superior to wild-type human lysozyme as a treatment for mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections. The engineered enzyme effectively decreases the bacterial burden and reduces markers of inflammation and lung injury. Importantly, we found no evidence of acute toxicity or allergic hypersensitivity upon repeated administration of the engineered biotherapeutic. Thus, the charge-engineered lysozyme represents an interesting therapeutic candidate for P. aeruginosa lung infections.

Modest reduction in risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation following topical oral chlorhexidine

SUBJECTS

The sample (N = 547) included patients older than 18 years (328 men and 219 women from a total population of 10,913) admitted to 3 intensive care units (ICUs) (medical, surgical/trauma, and neuroscience) at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. The sample size required to detect an interaction (ie, the effect of chlorhexidine and toothbrushing in combination) was determined to be larger than that required to detect main effects (ie, chlorhexidine alone or toothbrushing alone) for a test at a given level of significance. The study was designed to detect an interactive effect resulting in a 0.755 difference in mean Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) at a power of 80% and a significance level of .05. An interim analysis was done and a Bonferroni adjustment was used to avoid inflation in the overall significance level related to interim analyses; for this reason, the level of significance for final analysis was .025. This was a randomized controlled clinical trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Patients were randomized to treatment within each ICU according to a permuted block design developed by the biostatistician before the start of the study. Staff who performed interventions (oral care) had no knowledge of patients' CPIS. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation were enrolled within 24 hours of intubation and were followed for up to 14 days. Dates of recruitment were not disclosed.

KEY EXPOSURE/STUDY FACTOR

Lung infection, resulting from aspiration of potential bacterial pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or gram-negative rods that first colonize the oral cavity and oropharynx. Oral topical 0.12 % chlorhexidine gluconate, toothbrushing, or both (applied 4 times per day) were tested to determine their impact, if any, on incidence of lung infection in this cohort.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The CPIS was assessed as the primary outcome variable. This score consists of the sum of points assigned to 6 clinical and laboratory variables (yielding a score from 0 to 12): temperature, white blood cell count, tracheal secretions, oxygenation (calculated as PaO2 divided by the fraction of inspired oxygen), findings on chest radiographs (no infiltrate, diffuse infiltrate, localized infiltrate), and results of culturing of tracheal aspirates (microscopic examination and semiquantitative culture of tracheal secretions). Analysis used in this study examined the effect of interventions on both the range of CPIS scores and on dichotomous categories of the presence (CPIS ≥6) or absence (CPIS <6) of VAP.

MAIN RESULTS

When data on all patients were analyzed together, mixed models analysis indicated no effect of either chlorhexidine (P = .29) or toothbrushing (P = .95); however, chlorhexidine significantly reduced the incidence of pneumonia on day 3 (CPIS ≥6) among patients who had a CPIS less than 6 at baseline (P = .006). Toothbrushing had no effect on CPIS and did not enhance the effect of chlorhexidine.

CONCLUSIONS

Chlorhexidine oral swabbing was effective in reducing early ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) (after 3 days of intervention) in patients in medical, surgical/trauma, and neuroscience ICUs who did not have evidence of lung infection at baseline. This effect was not observed after day 3. Toothbrushing did not reduce the incidence of VAP, and combining toothbrushing and chlorhexidine did not provide additional benefit over use of chlorhexidine alone.

Preventing Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Through Oral Care, Product Selection, and Application Method

Objective:

Review the literature to identify the most effective method of oral hygiene to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Background:

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection in patients being treated with mechanical ventilation.

Method:

This study is a systematic literature review. The databases searched included Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Ovid, and MEDLINE.

Results:

Implementation of oral care protocols and nurse education programs reduced VAP. Although chlorhexidine was the most popular oral care product, no consensus emerged on concentration or protocols for oral care.

Conclusion:

No consensus on best practice for oral hygiene in patients being treated with mechanical ventilation was found. Chlorhexidine was the most popular oral care product. Implementation of an oral care protocol, ongoing nurse education, and evaluation were important in reducing the incidence of VAP. Future research should analyze chlorhexidine concentration, application techniques, and frequency of oral care, to optimize VAP prevention.

Effect of tracheal suctioning on aspiration past the tracheal tube cuff in mechanically ventilated patients

Background

This clinical study evaluated the effect of a suctioning maneuver on aspiration past the cuff during mechanical ventilation.

Methods

Patients intubated for less than 48 hours with a PVC-cuffed tracheal tube, under mechanical ventilation with a PEEP ≥5 cm H₂O and under continuous sedation, were included in the study. At baseline the cuff pressure was set at 30 cm H₂O. Then 0.5ml of blue dye diluted with 3 ml of saline was instilled into the subglottic space just above the cuff. Tracheal suctioning was performed using a 16-French suction catheter with a suction pressure of – 400 mbar. A fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed before and after the suctioning maneuver, looking for the presence of blue dye in the folds within the cuff wall or in the trachea under the cuff. The sealing of the cuff was defined by the absence of leakage of blue dye either in the cuff wall or in the trachea under the cuff.

Results

Twenty-five patients were included. The size of the tracheal tube was 7-mm ID for 5 patients, 7.5-mm ID for 16 patients, and 8-mm ID for four patients. Blue dye was never seen in the trachea under the cuff before suctioning and only in one patient (4%) after the suctioning maneuver. Blue dye was observed in the folds within the cuff wall in 6 of 25 patients before suctioning and 11 of 25 after (p = 0.063). Overall, the incidence of sealing of the cuff was 76% before suctioning and 56% after (p = 0.073).

Conclusions

In patients intubated with a PVC-cuffed tracheal tube and under mechanical ventilation with PEEP ≥5 cm H2O and a cuff pressure set at 30 cm H2O, a single tracheal suctioning maneuver did not increase the risk of aspiration in the trachea under the cuff.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01170156

The effect of pneumonia on short-term outcomes and cost of care after head and neck cancer surgery

BACKGROUND

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has threatened to discontinue reimbursements for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) as a preventable "never event." We sought to determine the relationship between pneumonia and in-hospital mortality, complications, length of hospitalization and costs in head and neck cancer (HNCA) surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Discharge data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 93,663 patients who underwent an ablative procedure for a malignant oral cavity, laryngeal, hypopharyngeal, or oropharyngeal neoplasm from 2003 to 2008 were analyzed using cross-tabulations and multivariate regression modeling.

RESULTS

VAP was rarely coded. Infectious pneumonia was significantly associated with chronic pulmonary disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; P < .001), while aspiration pneumonia was associated with dysphagia (OR, 2.0; P < .001). Pneumonia from any cause was associated with weight loss (OR, 3.3; P < .001), age >80 years (OR, 2.0; P = .007), comorbidity (OR, 2.3; P < .001), and major procedures (OR, 1.6; P < .001), with increased in-hospital mortality for infectious (OR, 2.9; P < .001) and aspiration pneumonia (OR, 5.3; P < .001). Both infectious and aspiration pneumonia were associated with postoperative medical and surgical complications, increased length of hospitalization, and hospital-related costs.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative pneumonia is associated with increased mortality, complications, length of hospitalization, and hospital-related costs in HNCA surgical patients. Variables associated with an increased risk of pneumonia are inherent comorbidities in HNCA and known risk factors for VAP, making this a high-risk group for this never event. Caution must be used in the institution of reforms that threaten to inadequately reimburse the provision of care to this vulnerable population. Aggressive preoperative identification and treatment of underlying pulmonary disease, weight loss, and dysphagia may reduce morbidity and mortality.

Improving trauma care in the ICU: best practices, quality improvement initiatives, and organization

Optimal care of critically ill trauma patients remains a challenge within modern medical systems. During the past decade, emerging technologies and organizational improvements have greatly advanced the care of these patients. The effective implementation of best practice initiatives has led to measurable improvement in outcomes while also reducing health care costs. Continued advances in the implementation of these initiatives and ICU organization are required, however, to insure that optimal care is provided to this unique patient population.

Chlorhexidine decreases the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care unit patients: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The aim was to evaluate whether oral swabbing with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) decreases the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty-one dentate patients scheduled for invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h were included in this randomized, double-blind, controlled study. As these patients were variably incapacitated, oral care was provided by swabbing the oral mucosa four times/d with CHX in the CHX group (29 patients) and with saline in the control group (32 patients). Clinical periodontal measurements were recorded, and lower-respiratory-tract specimens were obtained for microbiological analysis on admission and when VAP was suspected. Pathogens were identified by quantifying colonies using standard culture techniques.

RESULTS

Ventilator-associated pneumonia developed in 34/61 patients (55.7%) within 6.8 d. The VAP development rate was significantly higher in the control group than in the CHX group (68.8% vs. 41.4%, respectively; p = 0.03) with an odds ratio of 3.12 (95% confidence interval = 1.09-8.91). Acinetobacter baumannii was the most common pathogen (64.7%) of all species identified. There were no significant differences between the two groups in clinical periodontal measurements, VAP development time, pathogens detected or mortality rate.

CONCLUSION

The finding of the present study, that oral care with CHX swabbing reduces the risk of VAP development in mechanically ventilated patients, strongly supports its use in ICUs and indeed the importance of adequate oral hygiene in preventing medical complications.

Diagnosis of ventilator-associated respiratory infections (VARI): microbiologic clues for tracheobronchitis (VAT) and pneumonia (VAP)

Intubated patients are at risk of bacterial colonization and ventilator-associated respiratory infection (VARI). VARI includes tracheobronchitis (VAT) or pneumonia (VAP). VAT and VAP caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are increasing in the United States and Europe. In patients with risk factors for MDR pathogens, empiric antibiotics are often initiated for 48 to 72 hours pending the availability of pathogen identification and antibiotic sensitivity data. Extensive data indicate that early, appropriate antibiotic therapy improves outcomes for patients with VAP. Recognizing and treating VARI may allow earlier appropriate therapy and improved patient outcomes.

Economic impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia in a large matched cohort

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the economic impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) on length of stay and hospital costs. Design. Retrospective matched cohort study.

SETTING

Premier database of hospitals in the United States.

PATIENTS

Eligible patients were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), received mechanical ventilation for ≥2 calendar-days, and were discharged between October 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009.

METHODS

VAP was defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), code 997.31 and ventilation charges for ≥2 calendar-days. We matched patients with VAP to patients without VAP by propensity score on the basis of demographics, administrative data, and severity of illness. Cost was based on provider perspective and procedural cost accounting methods.

RESULTS

Of 88,689 eligible patients, 2,238 (2.5%) had VAP; the incidence rate was 1.27 per 1,000 ventilation-days. In the matched cohort, patients with VAP ([Formula: see text]) had longer mean durations of mechanical ventilation (21.8 vs 10.3 days), ICU stay (20.5 vs 11.6 days), and hospitalization (32.6 vs 19.5 days; all [Formula: see text]) than patients without VAP ([Formula: see text]). Mean hospitalization costs were $99,598 for patients with VAP and $59,770 for patients without VAP ([Formula: see text]), resulting in an absolute difference of $39,828. Patients with VAP had a lower in-hospital mortality rate than patients without VAP (482/2,144 [22.5%] vs 630/2,144 [29.4%]; [Formula: see text]).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that VAP continues to occur as defined by the new specific ICD-9 code and is associated with a statistically significant resource utilization burden, which underscores the need for cost-effective interventions to minimize the occurrence of this complication.

The tracheal tube: gateway to ventilator-associated pneumonia

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major healthcare-associated complication with considerable attributable morbidity, mortality and cost. Inherent design flaws in the standard high-volume low-pressure cuffed tracheal tubes form a major part of the pathogenic mechanism causing VAP. The formation of folds in the inflated cuff leads to microaspiration of pooled oropharyngeal secretions into the trachea, and biofilm formation on the inner surface of the tracheal tube helps to maintain bacterial colonization of the lower airways. Improved design of tracheal tubes with new cuff material and shape have reduced the size and number of these folds, which together with the addition of suction ports above the cuff to drain pooled subglottic secretions leads to reduced aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions. Furthermore, coating tracheal tubes with antibacterial agents reduces biofilm formation and the incidence of VAP. In this Viewpoint article we explore the published data supporting the new tracheal tubes and their potential contribution to VAP prevention strategies. We also propose that it may now be against good medical practice to continue to use a 'standard cuffed tube' given what is already known, and the weight of evidence supporting the use of newer tube designs.

Intensive care unit management of patients with stroke

Patients admitted with the diagnosis of "stroke" have a variety of different disorders that require specific treatment approaches in the critical care unit. Early thrombolysis for ischemic stroke and improvements in surgical and neurointerventional techniques for the treatment of aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage have been milestones in the past decade, but the evolvement of general management principles in critical care and the dedication of neurointensivists are equally important for improved outcomes. Strategies, which have been developed in other areas of intensive care medicine (eg, in patients with septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or trauma), need to be adopted and modified for the stroke patient. Prevention of iatrogenic complications and nosocomial infections is of utmost importance and requires sufficient numbers of trained personnel and high-quality equipment. Although the focus of attention in stroke patients is "brain resuscitation," comorbidities often limit the diagnostic and therapeutic options, and overall cardiopulmonary and metabolic functions need to be optimized in order to prevent secondary injury and allow the brain to recover. As part of a holistic approach to the rehabilitation process, psychologic and spiritual support for the patient must start early on in the intensive care unit, and family members should be involved in the patient's care and provided with special support as well.

Prevention of VAP: is zero rate possible?

Infection prevention measures, specifically targeting ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), have been purposed as quality-of-care indicators for patients in intensive care units. The authors discuss some of the recent evidence of the prevention of nosocomial infections, with a particular emphasis on VAP. Moreover, there are several pitfalls in considering VAP rates as a safety indicator. Because of these limitations, the authors recommend the use of specific process measures, designed to reduce VAP, as the basis for interinstitutional benchmarking.

Prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia, mortality and all intensive care unit acquired infections by topically applied antimicrobial or antiseptic agents: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in intensive care units

INTRODUCTION

Given the high morbidity and mortality attributable to ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, prevention plays a key role in the management of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. One of the candidate preventive interventions is the selective decontamination of the digestive or respiratory tract (SDRD) by topical antiseptic or antimicrobial agents. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of topical digestive or respiratory tract decontamination with antiseptics or antibiotics in the prevention of VAP, of mortality and of all ICU-acquired infections in mechanically ventilated ICU patients.

METHODS

A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials was performed. The U.S. National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database, Embase, and Cochrane Library computerized bibliographic databases, and reference lists of selected studies were used. Selection criteria for inclusion were: randomised controlled trials (RCTs); primary studies; examining the reduction of VAP and/or mortality and/or all ICU-acquired infections in ICU patients by prophylactic use of one or more of following topical treatments: 1) oropharyngeal decontamination using antiseptics or antibiotics, 2) gastrointestinal tract decontamination using antibiotics, 3) oropharyngeal plus gastrointestinal tract decontamination using antibiotics and 4) respiratory tract decontamination using antibiotics; reported enough data to estimate the odds ratio (OR) or risk ratio (RR) and their variance; English language; published through June 2010.

RESULTS

A total of 28 articles met all inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The overall estimate of efficacy of topical SDRD in the prevention of VAP was 27% (95% CI of efficacy = 16% to 37%) for antiseptics and 36% (95% CI of efficacy = 18% to 50%) for antibiotics, whereas in none of the meta-analyses conducted on mortality was a significant effect found. The effect of topical SDRD in the prevention of all ICU-acquired infections was statistically significant (efficacy = 29%; 95% CI of efficacy = 14% to 41%) for antibiotics whereas the use of antiseptics did not show a significant beneficial effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical SDRD using antiseptics or antimicrobial agents is effective in reducing the frequency of VAP in ICU. Unlike antiseptics, the use of topical antibiotics seems to be effective also in preventing all ICU-acquired infections, while the effectiveness on mortality of these two approaches needs to be investigated in further research.