Page 20 - FollowUP_Magazine_Issue_2

Upson Regional Medical Center has no Ventilator Associated Events in 2020
A mechanical ventilator is crucial to taking care of our patients who may have respiratory failure, or a critical illness, causing them to not breathewellontheirown.AccordingtotheCDC,morethan300,000 patients receive mechanical ventilation in the United States each year. UpsonRegionalMedicalCenterishappytoannouncethattherehave been no ventilator associated events in 2020.
A Ventilator Associated Event (VAE) is a complication or infection fromaventilator,suchasventilator-associatedpneumonia.“Dueto a high number of patients being on ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic,havingnoventilatorassociatedeventsisahugewinfor Upson Regional Medical Center,” said Suzanne Streetman, Upson Regional Medical Center Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer.
Danny McBride, Director of Infection Prevention and Employee Health, monitors for VACs, IVACs and VAPs (Ventilator Associated Events) daily.
There is a ventilator protocol URMC nurses in the ICU use to help prevent VAE’s which includes the following:
- Keeping the head of the bed up to at least 30 degrees.
- Providing daily sedation interruption to assess readiness to extubate. - Making sure the patient is on a peptic ulcer prophylaxis daily to
prevent stress ulcers since mechanical ventilation is a risk factor for this.
Also, making sure the patient is on a Deep Vein Thrombosis prophylaxis to improve outcomes for ventilator patients by preventing clots.
- Providemouthcareevery4hourswhichincludessuctioningusinga closed suctioning system. (Ballard)
- Usingchlorhexidinerinsewiththemouthcareroutineatleastevery 12 hours.This is included in a standardized kit that nurses place in thepatient’sroomevery24hourstouse.TheYankauerischanged out every 24 hours that is used for oral suctioning.
- Assessingtheendotrachealtubelocationandthepositionatthelip to make sure it stays in place.
- Turnthepatientevery2hours.
“This is an interdisciplinary team approach with nursing, respiratory care, physicians, and infection preventionists. Respiratory Care Services follow evidenced based ventilator bundle which also includes
using hi-low evacuation endotracheal tubes to optimize suctioning, the use of closed suction catheters and minimize ventilator circuit disconnection,” stated Tine Zellner, Respiratory Director.
“We haven’t had a VAE since March 8, 2007, which is amazing,” stated Treena Turner, Director of ICU, Special Care, Peds, Telemetry, and House Administrators.“That says a lot about our great staff,”she added.
18