scholarly journals Accurate measurement of ventilator length of stay and ventilator days for use in assessing patient safety and ventilator associated events.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Kimiyo Yamasaki ◽  
Joshua Mullen ◽  
Denise Wheatley ◽  
Ron Sanderson

Objective: Accurate measurements of ventilator length of stay are important for quality measures and mandated by Centers of Disease Control for reporting ventilator associated events. However, it is unknown which method of such a calculation gives the more accurate results. Design: We collected data using three different methods of calculating ventilator length of stay in a community hospital ICU. The first method is the walk-through method for collection of data at 6 am, the second is a data base collection system we created where data was collected by respiratory therapists in a daily ventilator patient log then entered into the database, and finally from query of medical charges for ventilator days from financial department Results: There was statistically significant disagreement between the three methods. The walk though method and data base were not statistically different, but the data from financial charges overestimated the ventilator length of stay. Additionally, there was not statistically significant differences between the time of the walk-through data collection. Conclusion: Ventilator days and hours should be measured by a precise database rather than indirect methods of estimation like walk-through or financial charges. Patient exposure to risk, and reporting of ventilator time, whether days or hours should be measured directly, not estimated. A larger study needs to be performed to examine this variation in a broader medical setting. Keywords: ventilator length of stay, ventilator associated events, ventilator associated pneumonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Gragueb-Chatti ◽  
Alexandre Lopez ◽  
Dany Hamidi ◽  
Christophe Guervilly ◽  
Anderson Loundou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dexamethasone decreases mortality in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has become the standard of care during the second wave of pandemic. Dexamethasone is an immunosuppressive treatment potentially increasing the risk of secondary hospital acquired infections in critically ill patients. We conducted an observational retrospective study in three French intensive care units (ICUs) comparing the first and second waves of pandemic to investigate the role of dexamethasone in the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and blood stream infections (BSI). Patients admitted from March to November 2020 with a documented COVID-19 and requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) for ≥ 48 h were included. The main study outcomes were the incidence of VAP and BSI according to the use of dexamethasone. Secondary outcomes were the ventilator-free days (VFD) at day-28 and day-60, ICU and hospital length of stay and mortality. Results Among the 151 patients included, 84 received dexamethasone, all but one during the second wave. VAP occurred in 63% of patients treated with dexamethasone (DEXA+) and 57% in those not receiving dexamethasone (DEXA−) (p = 0.43). The cumulative incidence of VAP, considering death, duration of MV and late immunosuppression as competing factors was not different between groups (p = 0.59). A multivariate analysis did not identify dexamethasone as an independent risk factor for VAP occurrence. The occurrence of BSI was not different between groups (29 vs. 30%; p = 0.86). DEXA+ patients had more VFD at day-28 (9 (0–21) vs. 0 (0–11) days; p = 0.009) and a reduced ICU length of stay (20 (11–44) vs. 32 (17–46) days; p = 0.01). Mortality did not differ between groups. Conclusions In this cohort of COVID-19 patients requiring invasive MV, dexamethasone was not associated with an increased incidence of VAP or BSI. Dexamethasone might not explain the high rates of VAP and BSI observed in critically ill COVID-19 patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 545-552
Author(s):  
Nathalia De Oro ◽  
Maria E Gauthreaux ◽  
Julie Lamoureux ◽  
Joseph Scott

Abstract Background Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that shows good sensitivity and specificity in identifying septic patients. Methods This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of PCT in a community hospital setting and how it compared to that of lactic acid. It explored the impact on patient care before and after PCT implementation regarding costs and length of stay. Two comparative groups were analyzed using an exploratory descriptive case–control study with data from a 19-month period after PCT implementation and a retrospective quasi-experimental study using a control group of emergency department patients diagnosed with sepsis using data before PCT implementation. Results Post-procalcitonin implementation samples included 165 cases and pre-procalcitonin implementation sample included 69 cases. From the 165 sepsis cases who had positive blood cultures, PCT had a sensitivity of 89.7%. In comparison, lactic acid's sensitivity at the current cutoff of 18.02 mg/dL (2.0 mmol/L) was 64.9%. There was a 32% decrease in median cost before and after PCT implementation, even with the length of stay remaining at 5 days in both time periods. Conclusions There was a significant decrease after the implementation of PCT in cost of hospitalization compared to costs before implementation. This cost is highly correlated with length of stay; neither the hospital nor the intensive care unit length of stay showed a difference with before and after implementation. There was a positive correlation between lactic acid and PCT values. PCT values had a higher predictive usefulness than the lactic acid values.


CHEST Journal ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 555-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad H. Ibrahim ◽  
Linda Tracy ◽  
Cherie Hill ◽  
Victoria J. Fraser ◽  
Marin H. Kollef

2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 344-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Byers ◽  
ML Sole

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors related to ventilator-associated pneumonia to assist in the development and implementation of prevention strategies. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive design was used. Power analysis determined sample size. A consecutive sample of 120 patients admitted to the critical care units of a level I trauma center who were receiving mechanical ventilation was used. Data were obtained from clinical and financial databases. Variables included demographic data, causative organism of the pneumonia, medications, comorbid conditions, complications, duration of therapies, length of stay, and cost per case. RESULTS: The average patient was a 49-year-old man. The sample was 54.9% trauma patients, and the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 16.7%. Significant factors included duration of intubation (r = 0.28, P = .005), mechanical ventilation (r = 0.26, P = .005), and tube feeding (r = 0.30, P = .001); trauma (phi = 0.24, P = .009); and use of histamine2 receptor antagonists (phi = -0.25, P = .006). The only variable that significantly increased the odds ratio for ventilator-associated pneumonia was trauma. The only variable that significantly decreased the odds ratio was use of histamine2 receptor antagonists. Patients in whom ventilator-associated pneumonia developed had a 16-day increase in length of stay (t = -2.68, P = .008), and a $29,369 increase in cost per case (t = -3.649, P = .000). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a baseline for discussions about potential changes in practice to help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.


1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Y. Koh ◽  
T. W. K. Lew ◽  
N. M. Chin ◽  
M. F. M. Wong

A retrospective review was made of 49 survivors who were mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours in the neurosurgical ICU. Thirty-two patients (Gp I) were successfully extubated, 9 patients (Gp II) underwent tracheostomy after one or more failed extubations, and 8 patients (Gp III) underwent elective tracheostomy. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores at extubation were 11.3±2.8 (mean (SD) for Gp I vs 7.8±2.7 for Gp II (P= n.s.) and at elective tracheostomy (Gp III) was 5.4±2.3. Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia were 35% in Gp I vs 100% of patients in Gp II and III (P<0.05). Reasons for reintubation in 7 of 9 patients (Gp II) were upper airway obstruction and tenacious tracheal secretions while 14 of 17 patients were weaned off the ventilator within 48 hours of tracheostomy. The length of stay in ICU was 16.8±7.1 days in Gp II vs 11.7±2.9 days in Gp III (P<0.05). In our study, elective tracheostomy for selected patients with poor GCS scores and nosocomial pneumonia has resulted in shortened ICU length of stay and rapid weaning from ventilatory support.


Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Duraid Younan ◽  
Sarah Delozier ◽  
Nathaniel McQuay ◽  
John Adamski ◽  
Aisha Violette ◽  
...  

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is associated with significant morbidity. Although the association of gender with outcomes in trauma patients has been debated for years, recently, certain authors have demonstrated a difference. We sought to compare the outcomes of younger men and women to older men and women, among critically ill trauma patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods: We reviewed our trauma data base for trauma patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia admitted to our trauma intensive care unit between January 2016 and June 2018. Data collected included demographics, injury mechanism and severity (ISS), admission vital signs and laboratory data and outcome measures including hospital length of stay, ICU stay and survival. Patients were also divided into younger (<50) and older (≥50) to account for hormonal status. Linear regression and binary logistic regression models were performed to compare younger men to older men and younger women to older women, and to examine the association between gender and hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU stay (ICUS), and survival. Results: Forty-five trauma patients admitted to our trauma intensive care unit during the study period (January 2016 to August 2018) had ventilator-associated pneumonia. The average age was 58.9 ± 19.6 years with mean ISS of 18.2 ± 9.8. There were 32 (71.1%) men, 27 (60.0%) White, and 41 (91.1%) had blunt trauma. Mean ICU stay was 14.9 ± 11.4 days and mean total hospital length of stay (LOS) was 21.5 ± 14.6 days. Younger men with VAP had longer hospital LOS 28.6 ± 17.1 days compared to older men 16.7 ± 6.6 days, (p < 0.001) and longer intensive care unit stay 21.6 ± 15.6 days compared to older men 11.9 ± 7.3 days (p = 0.02), there was no significant difference in injury severity (ISS was 22.2 ± 8.4 vs. 17 ± 8, p = 0.09). Conclusions: Among trauma patients with VAP, younger men had longer hospital length of stay and a trend towards longer ICU stay. Further research should focus on the mechanisms behind this difference in outcome using a larger database.


2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kalina

A service led by acute care surgeons managing trauma, critically ill surgical, and emergency general surgery patients via an acute care surgery model of patient care improves hospital efficiency and patient outcomes at university-affiliated hospitals and American College of Surgeons–verified trauma centers. Our goal was to determine whether an acute care surgeon led service, entitled the Surgical Trauma and Acute Resuscitative Service (STARS) that implemented an acute care surgery model of patient care, could improve hospital efficiency and patient outcomes at a community hospital. A total of 492 patient charts were reviewed, which included 230 before the implementation of the STARS [pre-STARS (control)] and 262 after the implementation of the STARS [post-STARS (study)]. Demographics included age, gender, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation 2 score, and medical comorbidities. Efficiency data included length of stay in emergency department (ED-LOS), length of stay in surgical intensive care unit (SICU-LOS), and length of stay in hospital (H-LOS), and total in hospital charges. Average age was 64.1 + 16.4 years, 255 males (51.83%) and 237 females (48.17%). Average Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation 2 score was 11.9 + 5.8. No significant differences in demographics were observed. Average decreases in ED-LOS (9.7 + 9.6 hours, pre-STARS versus 6.6 + 4.5 hours, post-STARS), SICU-LOS (5.3 + 9.6 days, pre-STARS versus 3.5 + 4.8 days, post-STARS), H-LOS (12.4 + 12.7 days, pre-STARS versus 11.4 + 11.3 days, post-STARS), and total in hospital charges ($419,602.6 + $519,523.0 pre-STARS to $374,816.7 + $411,935.8 post-STARS) post-STARS. Regression analysis revealed decreased ED-LOS—2.9 hours [ P = 0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI): -7.0, 1.2], SICU-LOS—6.3 days ( P < 0.001; 95% CI: -9.3, -3.2), H-LOS—7.6 days ( P = 0.001; 95% CI: -12.1, -3.1), and 3.4 times greater odds of survival ( P = 0.04; 95% CI: 1.1, 10.7) post-STARS. In conclusion, implementation of the STARS improved hospital efficiency and patient outcomes at a community hospital.


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