Ventilator-Associated Events: Surveillance and Prevention

The ventilator-associated event (VAE) framework provides objective, reproducible surveillance for a broad range of infectious and noninfectious complications of mechanical ventilation. VAEs are associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, extended ICU stays, and increased mortality independent of patients' underlying conditions, making them valuable quality indicators for risk identification and benchmarking. VAE rates can be reduced by minimizing sedation, conducting daily awakening and breathing trials, optimizing fluid management, using real-time alerts for impending VAEs, and integrating these measures into ventilator care bundles. VAE surveillance provides objective insight into the safety of mechanical ventilation and can help identify opportunities to improve patient outcomes.