Establishing nurse-led ventilator-associated pneumonia surveillance in paediatric intensive care

SummaryPreventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the Department of Health ‘Saving Lives’ initiatives. Whereas morbidity and mortality from VAP is well-documented in adults, it is poorly studied in children. We describe the establishment of a nurse-led VAP surveillance programme as part of an overall drive for patient safety and healthcare-associated infection reduction. All children admitted to a tertiary referral paediatric intensive care unit over a four-month period were studied. VAP was defined as pneumonia occurring >48 h post intubation. Diagnostic criteria were: (i) radiological: new/progressive infiltrates, consolidation or cavitation on chest X-ray; (ii) clinical: ≥3 of new onset purulent bronchial secretions, leucopaenia or leucocytosis, core temperature ≥38.5°C or ≤36°C without other cause, significant positive respiratory culture or culture from another relevant site of infection. A flow diagram and teaching programme was developed for bedside nurses to facilitate investigations of suspected VAP. The nurse in charge collected data daily at midnight until 24 h post extubation, discharge or death. Suspected cases of VAP were referred to infection control for secondary verification. A total of 158 intubated children were admitted over four months with 58 excluded (ventilated <24 h). Full data were obtained on all 100 children. VAP incidence was 5.6 per 1000 ventilator-days. We report successful introduction of a nurse-led VAP surveillance programme. Data acquisition in this study was dependent on nursing workload, however, and placed a significant time burden on the study leads. Although a relatively low VAP rate was demonstrated, VAP bundles with automated surveillance are being introduced.