Implementing a ventilator care bundle in an adult intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), in addition to causing distress to patients, is associated with increased length of stay in intensive care, higher rates of morbidity and mortality and pressure on critical care capacity and costs. A care bundle approach for the management of ventilated patients can reduce the risk of VAP. AIM: This paper aims to appraise the implementation of a series of high impact intervention care bundle components directed at preventing the development of VAP, within an adult intensive care unit of a district general hospital. INTERVENTION: Subsequent to the implementation of care bundle components, evidence from audit data revealed that compliance fell below standard. To address this, Department of Health staff who were visiting the hospital recommended that the frequency of audit activity should be increased to facilitate the rapid identification of areas of poor compliance, which could then be rectified. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: Daily care bundle audits showed a positive impact on compliance. However, without a robust method to collect data on prevalence of VAP, the impact of the care bundles on improving outcomes for this aspect of care is unknown.