Simple steps to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia in non-intubated patients: a quality improvement project
Alice Wilkinson1, Anousha Singal2, Ghada Ramadan3
1Junior Doctor, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London.
Background:
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) affects approximately 1.5% of UK inpatients. As well as leading to significant morbidity and mortality, HAP increases burden on hospitals by lengthening hospital stay. At a district general hospital in Kent, a quality improvement project (QIP) was designed that introduced simple preventive measures that could be implemented by ward nurses and allied health professionals.
Methods:
Three audit cycles studying a total of 222 inpatients on elderly care wards were undertaken over a 6-month period to assess staff compliance at various stages of the project, with interventions between each cycle. Actions included raising bedheads to 30°, sitting patients out of bed for meals, discouraging use of drinking straws, and regular mouth care.
Results:
Overall, improvements were seen in three of the measures. Considering the percentage of patients, there was a 23% increase in patients with bedheads >30°, 21% increase in use of adult feeding cups rather than straws, and 26% rise in patients sitting out of bed for meals.
Conclusion:
The main objective of this QIP was to show that these simple yet potentially life-saving interventions are easy to implement on a busy ward, and the results have shown this to be true.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...