Kimberly-Clark awards medical center for VAP reduction

UC Davis Medical Center has received a Partners in Prevention Award from Kimberly-Clark for its initiative to prevent ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP).

Two years ago, in response to VAP rates exceeding National Healthcare Safety Network benchmarks, the medical center formed a multidisciplinary team to reduce those rates into the "zero zone" (defined as one or fewer cases of VAP in each adult ICU for two of the previous four quarters) and increasing compliance with the VAP bundle to 100 percent. A "bundle" is a group of evidence-based interventions which, when implemented together, result in better outcomes.

After the launch of the initiative, VAP bundle compliance increased and VAP rates dropped below national benchmarks within 12 months. As of last December, four of the medical center's ICUs were in the zero zone, and the team conducting the VAP-reduction initiative continues to collect and analyze data with the goal of reducing VAP rates into the zero zone across all units.

A grant from the Gordon and Betty Irene Moore Foundation enabled the medical center to hire nurse champions to implement clinical bundles to prevent VAP, and teach and monitor ICU staff on bundle compliance.

VAP is the leading cause of death from hospital-acquired infection and results in increased mortality, prolonged stays in an ICU and up to $40,000 in increase cost per patient.