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Effects of a weaning protocol on ventilated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients

M R Hughes1, C D Smith, F W Tecklenburg

  • 1Division of Outcomes Management Research and Development, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, USA.

Topics in Health Information Management
|January 5, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric intensive care units can reduce mechanical ventilation (MV) hours by implementing new protocols for MV weaning, neuromuscular blockade, and enteral feedings. This performance improvement initiative led to significant reductions in MV duration for PICU patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Healthcare Performance Improvement
  • Clinical Protocol Development

Background:

  • A multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) team formed in 1997 to identify performance improvement opportunities.
  • The initial focus was on reducing mechanical ventilation (MV) hours for PICU patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of newly developed protocols on mechanical ventilation duration in a PICU.
  • To assess the effectiveness of a learning collaborative initiative in improving patient care outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Development and implementation of multidisciplinary protocols and physician order sets.
  • Protocols covered mechanical ventilation weaning, neuromuscular blockade/therapeutic paralysis, and enteral feedings.
  • Initiation of protocols in July 1997 within the PICU setting.

Main Results:

  • Significant reduction in the total number of mechanical ventilation hours for PICU patients since protocol implementation.
  • Demonstrated success in achieving the primary performance improvement goal.

Conclusions:

  • Implementation of standardized protocols can effectively decrease mechanical ventilation duration in pediatric intensive care.
  • Multidisciplinary collaboration and focused performance improvement initiatives yield measurable positive outcomes in PICU settings.

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