Critical care clinicians' knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common hospital-acquired infection among patients receiving mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit. Different initiatives for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia have been developed and recommended.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate knowledge of critical care providers (physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists in the intensive care unit) about evidence-based guidelines for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

METHODS:

Ten physicians, 41 nurses, and 18 respiratory therapists working in the intensive care unit of a major tertiary care university hospital center completed an anonymous questionnaire on 9 nonpharmacological guidelines for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

RESULTS:

The mean (SD) total scores of physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists were 80.2% (11.4%), 78.1% (10.6%), and 80.5% (6%), respectively, with no significant differences between them. Furthermore, within each category of health care professionals, the scores of professionals with less than 5 years of intensive care experience did not differ significantly from the scores of professionals with more than 5 years of intensive care experience.

CONCLUSIONS:

A health care delivery model that includes physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists in the intensive care unit can result in an adequate level of knowledge on evidence-based nonpharmacological guidelines for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

• Authors: Mohamad F El-Khatib, Salah Zeineldine, Chakib Ayoub, Ahmad Husari, Pierre K Bou-Khalil
• Journal: American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (Am J Crit Care) Vol. 19 Issue 3 Pg. 272-6 (May 2010) ISSN: 1937-710X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19687515 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Clinical Competence (statistics & numerical data)
• Critical Care (methods)
• Evidence-Based Medicine (methods)
• Guidelines as Topic
• Humans
• Male
• Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated (prevention & control)
• Surveys and Questionnaires