Abstract
Background: Ventilator bundles have been reported to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, data concerning the role of the education of the intensive care unit (ICU) staff regarding the items in the bundle and the importance to adhere to its items on the development of ventilator-associated events (VAEs) are limited. This study aimed to compare the frequency of VAEs in subjects admitted to the ICU before and after the education of the ICU staff.
Methods: A total of 105 subjects were enrolled in this retrospective study. The ICU staff, including the physicians, respiratory therapists, and nurses, received a 2-day educational lecture regarding items in the bundle as well as the need to adhere to its items. The study population was divided into two according to the admission date: subjects who were admitted before the education of the ICU staff regarding the ventilator bundle (preeducation) and subjects who were admitted after the education of the ICU staff regarding the ventilator bundle (posteducation). The difference in VAE rate in subjects admitted before and after bundle training was the primary outcome measure of this study.
Results: The bundle compliance rates presented by days were significantly higher in the posteducation group compared with the preeducation group. Moreover, the frequency of VAEs was significantly lower in posteducation subjects compared with preeducation subjects (4.7% vs 19.0%, P = .042). Ventilator-associated event rate was also lower in posteducation subjects compared with preeducation subjects (2.5/1000 vs 9.8/1000 ventilator days). There were no significant differences among the groups with respect to ICU mortality.
Conclusion: The educational intervention performed in this study not only increased the adherence to the ventilator care bundle but also led to a significant reduction in the rate of the VAEs in patients receiving mechanical ventilator support in the ICU.