About the Toolkit Development

The toolkit was developed as part of a 3-year project to help staff in intensive care units use Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) principles to reduce complications from mechanical ventilation, including ventilator-associated pneumonia. It was developed through a partnership that brought together subject matter experts and providers in the field.

Background

Complications related to ventilator use in intensive care unit (ICU) patients are not uncommon. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one such complication, affecting as many as 20 percent of ICU patients who require a ventilator for more than 48 hours. Complications such as VAP increase the likelihood of hospital readmission, long-term health problems and death. They also increase the costs of care. Many complications related to ventilator use, including VAP, are largely preventable.

To address this problem, AHRQ funded a 3-year project to help staff in ICUs use CUSP principles to reduce complications from mechanical ventilation, including VAP.

Project Partners

The project was conducted through a partnership that brought together subject matter experts and providers in the field. Partners for this project included—

• Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.
• Michigan Health & Hospital Association Keystone Center.
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

Reports

• AHRQ Safety Program for Mechanically Ventilated Patients: Final Report (PDF, 3.32 MB).