RESUMEN
Trauma patients are at increased risk for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Sixty adult trauma intensive care unit patients were audited 3 months prepractice change, and 30 were audited postpractice change. Quality improvement interventions included staff education of a redesigned electronic medical record ventilator bundle and chlorhexidine gluconate administration timing practice change. Postpractice change audits revealed 2-hour chlorhexidine gluconate documentation increased from 38.3% to 73.3% and incidence of pneumonia in intubated patients decreased by 62%. Early initiation of chlorhexidine gluconate mouth care utilizing electronic medical record technology may help reduce pneumonia in intubated patients, hospital length of stay, overall health costs, and improve documentation.