Have you heard of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia? Not at Bellin!
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PrintOn Sunday, Jan. 17, Bellin Health celebrated two years without a case of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). This is a phenomenal achievement!
“All those who work in ACD (the ICU at Bellin) and Respiratory Care should be proud of the work they do in saving lives,” said Carol Bess, an infection preventionist at Bellin. “Two years without a VAP is a huge accomplishment that should be celebrated within our health system and the community.
In reference to a National Benchmark, without a VAP in the last year puts Bellin Health in the 10th percentile. This means Bellin's ICU is better than 90% of the hospitals who report VAP rates.
Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) occurs in 8 - 28% of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, Bess said. “The cost of a VAP averages $40,000, while death from a VAP ranges from 15 -50%.”
The health system has not had a VAP at Bellin Hospital for two years “due to evidence-based practice that was put in place to prevent VAP in our ACD. Based on this information, in the past two years we have saved three lives and $240,000.”
Prevention measures (called the VAP bundle) that are routine include:
- Elevation of the Head of the Bed
- Daily "Sedation Vacations" and Assessment of Readiness to Extubate
- Peptic Ulcer Disease Prophylaxis
- Deep Venous Thrombosis Prophylaxis
- Oral care (including tooth brushing
For more information on the VAP bundle, see this link from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI): http://tinyurl.com/yedakz4
