Nation-wide survey of oral care practice in Japanese intensive care units: A descriptive study.

Oral care for critically ill patients helps provide comfort and prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, a standardized protocol for oral care in intensive care units is currently unavailable. Thus, this study aimed to determine the overall oral care practices, including those for intubated patients, in Japanese intensive care units. We also discuss the differences in oral care methods between Japanese ICUs and ICUs in other countries. This study included all Japanese intensive care units meeting the authorities' standard set criteria, with a minimum of 0.5 nurses per patient at all times and admission of adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation. An online survey was used to collect data. Survey responses were obtained from one representative nurse per intensive care unit. Frequency analysis was performed, and the percentage of each response was calculated. A total of 609 hospitals and 717 intensive care units nationwide participated; among these, responses were collected from 247 intensive care units (34.4%). Of these, 215 (87.0%) and 32 (13.0%) reported standardized and non-standardized oral care, respectively. Subsequently, the data from 215 intensive care units that provided standardized oral care were analyzed in detail. The most common frequency of practicing oral care was three times a day (68.8%). Moreover, many intensive care units provided care at unequal intervals (79.5%), mainly in the morning, daytime, and evening. Regarding oral care methods, 96 (44.7%) respondents used only a toothbrush, while 116 (54.0%) used both a toothbrush and a non-brushing method. The findings of our study reveal current oral care practices in ICUs in Japan. In particular, most ICUs provide oral care three times a day at unequal intervals, and almost all use toothbrushes as a common tool for oral care. The results suggest that some oral care practices in Japanese ICUs differ from those in ICUs in other countries.

Co-immobilization of Ciprofloxacin and Chlorhexidine as a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Dual-Drug Coating for Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)-Based Endotracheal Tubes.

The endotracheal tube (ETT) affords support for intubated patients, but the increasing incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is jeopardizing its application. ETT surfaces promote (poly)microbial colonization and biofilm formation, with a heavy burden for VAP. Devising safe, broad-spectrum antimicrobial materials to tackle the ETT bioburden is needful. Herein, we immobilized ciprofloxacin (CIP) and/or chlorhexidine (CHX), through polydopamine (pDA)-based functionalization, onto poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) surfaces. These surfaces were characterized regarding physicochemical properties and challenged with single and polymicrobial cultures of VAP-relevant bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and fungi (Candida albicans). The coatings imparted PVC surfaces with a homogeneous morphology, varied wettability, and low roughness. The antimicrobial immobilization via pDA chemistry was still evidenced by infrared spectroscopy. Coated surfaces exhibited sustained CIP/CHX release, retaining prolonged (10 days) activity. CIP/CHX-coated surfaces evidencing no A549 lung cell toxicity displayed better antibiofilm outcomes than CIP or CHX coatings, preventing bacterial attachment by 4.1-7.2 Log10 CFU/mL and modestly distressingC. albicans. Their antibiofilm effectiveness was endured toward polymicrobial consortia, substantially inhibiting the adhesion of the bacterial populations (up to 8 Log10 CFU/mL) within the consortia in dual- and even inP. aeruginosa/S. aureus/C. albicans triple-species biofilms while affecting fungal adhesion by 2.7 Log10 CFU/mL (dual consortia) and 1 Log10 CFU/mL (triple consortia). The potential of the dual-drug coating strategy in preventing triple-species adhesion and impairing bacterial viability was still strengthened by live/dead microscopy. The pDA-assisted CIP/CHX co-immobilization holds a safe and robust broad-spectrum antimicrobial coating strategy for PVC-ETTs, with the promise laying in reducing VAP incidence.

Probable Non-Ventilator-Associated Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia is a preventable health care-associated infection accounting for 1 in 14 hospital deaths. Clinical factors influencing this condition include oral health and bacteria and oral care. This case report addresses diagnostics and clinical variables related to non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia and emphasizes the importance of prevention. CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 90-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath and generalized weakness from new-onset atrial fibrillation and suspected heart failure exacerbation. During the hospitalization, her oral health status declined and oral bacterial colonization shifted, with Neisseria becoming the most common oral bacterial genus around the time of development of probable non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia. DIAGNOSIS: The patient had new respiratory symptoms and a chest radiograph positive for pneumonia on day 4 and was subsequently diagnosed with probable non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia. INTERVENTIONS: Intravenous antibiotic treatment was initiated. Oral care was completed on only 2 of 7 days. The patient received limited ambulation assistance and encouragement from staff and family members. No dysphagia screening was documented. OUTCOMES: On day 6, the patient was discharged with oral antibiotics to her independent living facility with home health care. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent oral care, early and frequent physical activity, and measures aimed to reduce aspiration risk are key interventions for all hospitalized patients to prevent non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia. Further research is warranted to assess shifts in oral bacteria and general oral health during hospitalization, which could provide clinically meaningful data on risk for non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Ceragenin-coated endotracheal tubes for the reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a prospective, longitudinal, cross-over, interrupted time, implementation study protocol (CEASE VAP study).

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients are at high risk of acquiring ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which occurs in approximately 20% of mechanically ventilated patients. VAP results either from aspiration of pathogen-contaminated oropharyngeal secretions or contaminated biofilms that form on endotracheal tubes (ETTs) after intubation. VAP results in increased duration of mechanical ventilation, increased intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, increased risk of death and increased healthcare costs. Because of its impact on patient outcomes and the healthcare system, VAP is regarded as an important patient safety issue and there is an urgent need for better evidence on the efficacy of prevention strategies. Modified ETTs that reduce aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions with subglottic secretion drainage or reduce the occurrence of biofilm with a coating of ceragenins (CSAs) are available for clinical use in Canada. In this implementation study, we will evaluate the efficacy of these two types of Health Canada-licensed ETTs on the occurrence of VAP, and impact on patient-centred outcomes. METHODS: In this ongoing, pragmatic, prospective, longitudinal, interrupted time, cross-over implementation study, we will compare the efficacy of a CSA-coated ETT (CeraShield N8 Pharma) with an ETT with subglottic secretion drainage (Taper Guard, Covidien). The study periods consist of four alternating time periods of 11 or 12 weeks or a total of 23 weeks for each ETT. All patients intubated with the study ETT in each time period will be included in an intention-to-treat analysis. Outcomes will include VAP incidence, mortality and health services utilisation including antibiotic use and length of stay. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Health Sciences Research Ethics Board at Queen's University. The results of this study will be actively disseminated through manuscript publication and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05761613.

Efficacy of probiotics or synbiotics in critically ill patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This latest systematic review and meta-analysis aim to examine the effects of probiotic and synbiotic supplementation in critically ill patients. METHODS: Relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database, and the Web of Science. The primary output measure was the incident of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and the secondary outputs were diarrhea, Clostridium diffusion infection (CDI), incident of sepsis, incident of hospital acquired pneumonia, duration of mechanical exploitation, ICU mortality rate, length of ICU stay, in hospital mortality, and length of hospital stay. Data were pooled and expressed as Relative Risk(RR) and Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: 33 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis, with 4065 patients who received probiotics or synbiotics (treatment group) and 3821 patients who received standard care or placebo (control group). The pooled data from all included studies demonstrated that the treatment group has significantly reduced incidence of ventilation-associated pneumonia (VAP) (RR = 0.80; 95 % CI: 0.67-0.96; p = 0.021, I2 = 52.5 %) and sepsis (RR = 0.97; 95 % CI: 0.66-1.42; p = 0.032, I2 = 54.4 %), As well as significantly increased duration of mechanical exploitation (SMD = -0.47; 95 % CI: -0.74-0.20, p = 0.012, I2 = 63.4 %), ICU mobility (RR = 0.95; 95 % CI: 0.71-1.27; p = 0.004, I2 = 62.8 %), length of ICU stay (SMD = -0.29; 95 % CI: -0.58-0.01; p = 0.000, I2 = 82.3 %) and length of hospital stay (SMD = -0.33; 95 % CI: -0.57-0.08, p = 0.000, I2 = 74.2 %) than the control group. There were no significant differences in diarrhea, CDI, incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia, and in hospital mortality between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis showed that probiotic and synbiotic supplements are beneficial for critically ill patients as they significantly reduce the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia and sepsis, as well as the duration of mechanical exploitation, length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay, and ICU mortality. However, this intervention has minimal impact on diarrhea, CDI, incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia, and in hospital mortality in critically ill patients.

Efficacy of preventive interventions against ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Many meta-analyses have assessed the efficacy of preventive interventions against ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients. However, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the strength and quality of evidence to date. Systematic reviews of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials, which evaluated the effect of preventive strategies on the incidence of VAP in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h, were included in this article. We identified a total of 34 interventions derived from 31 studies. Among these interventions, 19 resulted in a significantly reduced incidence of VAP. Among numerous strategies, only selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) was supported by highly suggestive (Class II) evidence (risk ratio (RR)=0.439, 95% CI: 0.362-0.532). Based on data from the sensitivity analysis, the evidence for the efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in weaning from mechanical ventilation (NIV) was upgraded from weak (Class IV) to highly suggestive (Class II) (RR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.22-0.46). All preventive interventions were not supported by robust evidence for reducing mortality. Early mobilization exhibited suggestive (Class III) evidence in shortening both intensive length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) (mean difference (MD)=-0.85, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.49) and duration of mechanical ventilation (MD=-1.02, 95% CI: -1.41 to -0.63). In conclusion, SDD and NIV are supported by robust evidence for prevention against VAP, while early mobilization has been shown to significantly shorten the LOS in the ICU and the duration of mechanical ventilation. These three strategies are recommendable for inclusion in the ventilator bundle to lower the risk of VAP and improve the prognosis of critically ill patients.

Clinical effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with mechanical ventilation: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Relevant studies were identified in the PubMed, Web of Science, National Library of Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases. A meta-analysis was performed after screening based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction and literature quality evaluation. RESULTS: In total, 19 studies involving 2181 participants were included. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that compared with patients with conventional rehabilitation measures, patients with pulmonary rehabilitation measures had a higher offline success rate (relative risk (RR) = 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.24; p < 0.00001) and higher arterial oxygen partial pressure levels (mean difference (MD) = 8.96; 95%CI: 5.98, 11.94; p < 0.0001) and these measures significantly shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation (standardised MD (SMD) = -1.08; 95%CI: -1.58, -0.59; p < 0.0001) and ICU stay (SMD = -1.41; 95%CI: -1.94, -0.88; p < 0.0001). Aspiration significantly reduced the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (RR = 0.35; 95%CI: 0.24, 0.51; p < 0.00001) and deep vein thrombosis (RR = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.13, 0.76; p = 0.01) in ICU patients with mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary rehabilitation measures can improve the success rate of weaning from mechanical ventilation in ICU patients, shorten the time of mechanical ventilation and ICU hospitalisation and reduce the incidence of related adverse reactions, but the impact on mortality requires further study.

Is Zero Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Achievable? Updated Practical Approaches to Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Prevention.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains a significant clinical entity with reported incidence rates of 7% to 15%. Given the considerable adverse consequences associated with this infection, VAP prevention became a core measure required in most US hospitals. Many institutions took pride in implementing effective VAP prevention bundles that combined at least head of bed elevation, hand hygiene, chlorhexidine oral care, and subglottic drainage. Spontaneous breathing and awakening trials have also consistently been shown to shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation and secondarily reduce the occurrence of VAP.

Estimating the savings of a national project to prevent healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have a significant impact on patients' morbidity and mortality, and have a detrimental financial impact on the healthcare system. Various strategies exist to prevent HAIs, but economic evaluations are needed to determine which are most appropriate. AIM: To present the financial impact of a nationwide project on HAI prevention in intensive care units (ICUs) using a quality improvement (QI) approach. METHODS: A health economic evaluation assessed the financial results of the QI initiative 'Saúde em Nossas Mãos' (SNM), implemented in Brazil between January 2018 and December 2020. Among 116 participating institutions, 13 (11.2%) fully reported the aggregate cost and stratified patients (with vs without HAIs) in the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods. Average cost (AC) was calculated for each analysed HAI: central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). The absorption model and time-driven activity-based costing were used for cost estimations. The numbers of infections that the project could have prevented during its implementation were estimated to demonstrate the financial impact of the SNM initiative. RESULTS: The aggregated ACs calculated for each HAI from these 13 ICUs - US$8480 for CLABSIs, US$10,039 for VAP, and US$7464 for CAUTIs - were extrapolated to the total number of HAIs prevented by the project (1727 CLABSIs, 3797 VAP and 2150 CAUTIs). The overall savings of the SNM as of December 2020 were estimated at US$68.8 million, with an estimated return on investment (ROI) of 765%. CONCLUSION: Reporting accurate financial data on HAI prevention strategies is still challenging in Brazil. These results suggest that a national QI initiative to prevent HAIs in critical care settings is a feasible and value-based approach, reducing financial waste and yielding a significant ROI for the healthcare system.

Effects of ventilatory bundles on patient outcomes among ICU patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator bundles are suggested to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), but significant variations in the effects of the bundle on patient outcomes have been reported. OBJECTIVES: To synthesize the evidence and evaluate the effects of the ventilator bundle on patient outcomes among critically ill adult patients. METHODS: A broad search was performed in seven databases for relevant articles published from January 2002 to November 2022. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies investigating the effects of implementing ventilator bundles in adult intensive care units (ICUs) were included. Two independent reviewers performed the study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. All data for meta-analysis were pooled using the random-effects model. RESULTS: After screening, 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Evidence of low-to-moderate certainty showed that the ventilator bundle reduced the rate of VAP (risk ratio [RR] = 0.64; P = 0.003), length of ICU stay (mean difference [MD] = -2.57; P = 0.03), mechanical ventilation days (MD = -3.38; P < 0.001), and ICU mortality (RR = 0.76; P = 0.02). Ventilator bundle was associated with improved outcomes, except mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The ventilator bundle, especially the IHI ventilator bundle, was effective in decreasing the incidence of VAP and improving most of the VAP-related outcomes. However, given the low-to-moderate certainty of evidence and high heterogeneity, these results should be interpreted with caution. A future study that adopts hybrid implementation trials with high methodological quality is needed to confirm the effects of the ventilator bundle on patient outcomes.

Assessing the impact of a multidimensional approach and an 8-component bundle in reducing incidences of ventilator-associated pneumonia across 35 countries in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) occurring in the intensive care unit (ICU) are common, costly, and potentially lethal. METHODS: We implemented a multidimensional approach and an 8-component bundle in 374 ICUs across 35 low and middle-income countries (LMICs) from Latin-America, Asia, Eastern-Europe, and the Middle-East, to reduce VAP rates in ICUs. The VAP rate per 1000 mechanical ventilator (MV)-days was measured at baseline and during intervention at the 2nd month, 3rd month, 4-15 month, 16-27 month, and 28-39 month periods. RESULTS: 174,987 patients, during 1,201,592 patient-days, used 463,592 MV-days. VAP per 1000 MV-days rates decreased from 28.46 at baseline to 17.58 at the 2nd month (RR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.58-0.65; P < 0.001); 13.97 at the 3rd month (RR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.46-0.52; P < 0.001); 14.44 at the 4-15 month (RR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.48-0.53; P < 0.001); 11.40 at the 16-27 month (RR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.38-0.42; P < 0.001), and to 9.68 at the 28-39 month (RR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.32-0.36; P < 0.001). The multilevel Poisson regression model showed a continuous significant decrease in incidence rate ratios, reaching 0.39 (p < 0.0001) during the 28th to 39th months after implementation of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention resulted in a significant VAP rate reduction by 66% that was maintained throughout the 39-month period.

The Impact of Nursing Education on Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Prevention Bundle to Reduce Incidence of Infection: A Quality Improvement Project.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a health care-acquired infection that leads to poor patient outcomes, increased length of hospital stay, exhaustion of health care resources, and unnecessary increases in health care costs. OBJECTIVES: This project was designed to educate registered nurses on the importance of an evidence-based VAP prevention bundle that reduces the overall incidence of VAP infections. METHODS: Patients (N = 146) were enrolled in this quasi-experimental project that took place in a 14-bed neuro trauma surgical burn intensive care unit (ICU) at a level 1 trauma center. Data were collected from the chart review of patients admitted to the neuro trauma surgical burn ICU prior to and after nursing education intervention. The difference in VAP rate and enhanced nursing knowledge were the primary outcome measures. RESULTS: Data suggest improvement in several patient outcomes. Ventilator days were shortened from 17.45 days to 13.42 days (P = .085), and ICU length of stay decreased from 24.77 days to 17.62 days (P = .035). Patient laboratory data show improved white blood cell values (P < .001), less oxygen requirements (P < .001), and fewer patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for VAP (P = .073). DISCUSSION: Results suggest there were no statistically significant changes in the knowledge of registered nurses or oral care bundle compliance; however, improvements in patient data following the provider education suggest that continued education to nursing staff will have a positive impact on reducing hospital stay and significant costs associated with a VAP infection.

Application of ventilator-associated events (VAE) in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) notified in Brazil (IMPACTO MR-PAV): a protocol for a cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Certain criteria for ventilator-associated events (VAE) definition might influence the type of an event, its detection rate and consequently the resource expenditure in intensive care unit. The Impact of Infections by Antimicrobial-Resistant Microorganisms - Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (IMPACTO MR-PAV) aims to evaluate the incidence and diagnostic accuracy of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using the current criteria for VAP surveillance in Brazil versus the VAE criteria defined by the US National Healthcare Safety Network-Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will be conducted in around 15 centres across Brazil from October 2022 to December 2023. Trained healthcare professionals will collect data and compare the incidence of VAP using both the current criteria for VAP surveillance in Brazil and the VAE criteria defined by the CDC. The accuracy of the two criteria for identifying VAP will also be analysed. It will also characterise other events associated with mechanical ventilation (ventilator-associated condition, infection-related ventilator-associated complication) and adjudicate VAP reported to the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) using current epidemiological diagnostic criteria. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board under the number 52354721.0.1001.0070. The study's primary outcome measure will be the incidence of VAP using the two different surveillance criteria, and the secondary outcome measures will be the accuracy of the two criteria for identifying VAP and the adjudication of VAP reported to ANVISA. The results will contribute to the improvement of VAP surveillance in Brazil and may have implications for other countries that use similar criteria. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05589727; Clinicaltrials.gov.

Indirect (herd) effects of topical antibiotic prophylaxis and oral care versus non-antimicrobial methods increase mortality among ICU patients: realigning Cochrane review data to emulate a three-tier cluster randomised trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to estimate the direct effects to recipients and indirect (herd) effects to non-recipients of each of topical antibiotic prophylaxis (TAP) and oral care methods on patient mortality within randomised concurrent controlled trials (RCCT) using Cochrane review data. DESIGN: Control and intervention groups from 209 RCCTs of TAP (tier 3), oral care (tier 2) each versus non-antimicrobial (tier 1) ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention interventions arranged to emulate a three-tiered cluster randomised trial (CRT). Eligible RCCTs were those including ICU patients with >50% of patients receiving >24 hours of mechanical ventilation (MV) with mortality data available as abstracted in 13 Cochrane reviews. EXPOSURES: Direct and indirect exposures to either TAP or oral care within RCCTs versus non-antimicrobial VAP prevention interventions. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The ICU mortality within control and intervention groups, respectively, within RCCTs of either TAP or oral care versus that within non-antimicrobial VAP prevention RCCTs serving as benchmark. RESULTS: The ICU mortality was 23.9%, 23.0% and 20.3% for intervention groups and 28.7%, 25.5% and 19.5% for control groups of RCCTs of TAP (tier 1), oral care (tier 2) and non-antimicrobial (tier 3) methods of VAP prevention, respectively. In a random effects meta-regression including late mortality data and adjusting for group mean age, year of study publication and MV proportion, the direct effect of TAP and oral care versus non-antimicrobial methods were 1.04 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.30) and 1.1 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.43) whereas the indirect effects were 1.39 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.74) and 1.26 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.62), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Indirect (herd) effects from TAP and oral care methods on mortality are stronger than the direct effects as made apparent by the three-tiered CRT. These indirect effects, being harmful to concurrent control groups by increasing mortality, perversely inflate the appearance of benefit within RCCTs.

Identifying patients at increased risk of non-ventilator-associated pneumonia on admission to hospital: a pragmatic prognostic screening tool to trigger preventative action.

BACKGROUND: Non-ventilator healthcare-associated pneumonia (NV-HAP) is an important healthcare-associated infection. This study tested the feasibility of using routine admission data to identify those patients at high risk of NV-HAP who could benefit from targeted, preventive interventions. METHODS: Patients aged ≥64 years who developed NV-HAP five days or more after admission to elderly-care wards, were identified by retrospective case note review together with matched controls. Data on potential predictors of NV-HAP were captured from admission records. Multi-variate analysis was used to build a prognostic screening tool (PRHAPs); acceptability and feasibility of the tool was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 382 cases/381 control patients were included in the analysis. Ten predictors were included in the final model; nine increased the risk of NV-HAP (OR between 1.68 and 2.42) and one (independent mobility) was protective (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.30-0.75). The model correctly predicted 68% of the patients with and without NV-HAP; sensitivity 77%; specificity 61%. The PRHAPs tool risk score was 60% or more if two predictors were present and over 70% if three were present. An expert consensus group supported incorporating the PRHAPs tool into electronic logic systems as an efficient mechanism to identify patients at risk of NV-HAP and target preventative strategies. CONCLUSIONS: This prognostic screening (PRHAPs) tool, applied to data routinely collected when a patient is admitted to hospital, could enable staff to identify patients at greatest risk of NV-HAP, target scarce resources in implementing a prevention care bundle, and reduce the use of antimicrobial agents.

Inhaled Amikacin to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Whether preventive inhaled antibiotics may reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia is unclear. METHODS: In this investigator-initiated, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled, superiority trial, we assigned critically ill adults who had been undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 72 hours to receive inhaled amikacin at a dose of 20 mg per kilogram of ideal body weight once daily or to receive placebo for 3 days. The primary outcome was a first episode of ventilator-associated pneumonia during 28 days of follow-up. Safety was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 850 patients underwent randomization, and 847 were included in the analyses (417 assigned to the amikacin group and 430 to the placebo group). All three daily nebulizations were received by 337 patients (81%) in the amikacin group and 355 patients (83%) in the placebo group. At 28 days, ventilator-associated pneumonia had developed in 62 patients (15%) in the amikacin group and in 95 patients (22%) in the placebo group (difference in restricted mean survival time to ventilator-associated pneumonia, 1.5 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6 to 2.5; P = 0.004). An infection-related ventilator-associated complication occurred in 74 patients (18%) in the amikacin group and in 111 patients (26%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.89). Trial-related serious adverse effects were seen in 7 patients (1.7%) in the amikacin group and in 4 patients (0.9%) in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients who had undergone mechanical ventilation for at least 3 days, a subsequent 3-day course of inhaled amikacin reduced the burden of ventilator-associated pneumonia during 28 days of follow-up. (Funded by the French Ministry of Health; AMIKINHAL ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03149640; EUDRA Clinical Trials number, 2016-001054-17.).