• Home
  • /
  • Topic
  • /
  • Health
  • /
  • Pneumonia
  • /
  • Effectiveness of Chlorhexidinein Reducing Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Capstone Project
Verified Document

Effectiveness Of Chlorhexidinein Reducing Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Capstone Project

PICOT In critically ill adults (p), how does the daily use of chlorohexidine (I) compared to sterile water reduce VAP (ventilator-associated pneumonia) (O) during hospitalized stay (T).

Part 2 Identifying a Problem

Of the infections acquired by patients who've used mechanical ventilation in hospitals, ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common. It causes several deaths, prolongs hospital stay and adds to the cost of medical care. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is commonly developed when pathogenic bacteria colonize the aero digestive tract. Given this reality, prevention of the infection has always involved preventing bacteria colonization and the following aspiration of the contaminated secretions to the lower airways. (Babcock et al., 2004).

It is necessary that a reappraisal be carried out because of the limitations that the evidence base has. First, the current meta analyses are influenced heavily by three significant studies in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and they accounted for between forty to sixty percent of the patients analyzed before. The reliability of the studies lie in question because most of the patients' extubation is done within a day. VAP is the least likely outcome in such a situation. Second, not enough distinction has been made between double-blind and open-label investigations. This is key because VAP diagnosis is not always accurate and objective. It is hard estimating VAP rates because objectivity and specificity are always lacking. The study reappraised evidence base that support admitting oral care to mechanical ventilation patients with chlorohexidine. The study looked into what impact chlorohexidine had on oral care, VAP and ICU length of stay (Klompas et al., 2014).

Reducing the volume of oral microorganisms could help make significant strides in preventing VAP. Chlorohexidine might just hold the answer. It helps fight both aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. It can be active for long -- 6 hours after application. The question as to whether Chlohexidine is the best choice is still open to discussion (Zhang, Tang & Fu, 2014). Clinical workers are for sure free to make a decision based on the circumstances and their judgment of the needs of the patient.

VAP prevention will require thorough education of all concerned parties. It was found that 2 community hospitals and 2 teaching hospitals had dropped the infection rate by on average 46% after the staff had gone through professional development. VAP infections should be brought to near zero whatever the cost. It leads to higher medical care costs, lengthens hospital stay, raises patient morbidity and increases the workload of health workers. Education should therefore be a key priority (Pruitt & Jacobs, 2006). CDC states (Tablan et al., 2004) that preventing VAP needs the employment of a multifaceted approach. Oral care should be one of the approaches taken (Tablan et al., 2004).

Part 3: Selecting Sources of Literature

1. Klompas M., Speck, K., Howell M.D., Greene, L.R., & Berenholtz, S.M. (2014). Reappraisal of routine oral care with chlorohexidine gluconate for patients receiving mechanical ventilation: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine, 174 (5), 751-761.

The study looks into what impact chlorohexidine oral care has on patient centered outcomes in those patients on mechanical ventilation. The paper indicates why there is need for re-evaluation of policies that encourage chlorohexidine routine oral care for patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. It indicates that there isn't any significance difference between placebo and chlorohexidine use in cardiac surgery. There wasn't enough data on antibiotic prescriptions and length of stay in hospitals.

2. Babcock, H., Zack, J.E., Garrison, T., Trovillion, E., Jones, M., Fraser, V.J., & Kollef, M.H. (2004). An educational Intervention to reduce Ventilator-associated pneumonia in an integrated Health System Chest, 125 (6), 2224-2231.

The study reveals that having educational interventions help reduce VAP infections in an ICU. The decrease was statistically significant in a pediatric hospital and 2 of 3 adult hospital studies. There are clear gaps between what is spelled out in manuals and guidelines and what is actually being practiced; the paper goes on to say. The institution of an education module helped reduce the rates of infection in the 3 hospitals.

3. Tablan, O.C., Anderson, L.J.M Besser , R., Bridges., C., & Hajjeh, R. (2004). Guidelines for preventing healthcare associated pneumonia, 2003. MMWR, 53 (RR-3), 1-36.

Among the recommended changes to help in the prevention of bacterial pneumonia, especially VAP, is use of oro-tracheal tubes in place of nasotracheal tubes during mechanical ventilation. Studies show that almost 15% of hospital associated infections are pneumonia. Of all the infections, infections in the ICU and coronary care unit account for 27% and 24% respectively. The study states that chlorohexidine use in the prevention of healthcare-associated pneumonia in the other high risk patient groups hasn't been evaluated.

4. Zhang, T., Tang, S,. & Fu, L. (2014). The effectiveness of different concentrations...

Journal Nursing, 23 (11/12), 1461-1475. doi:10.1111/jocn.12312
This study looks into how effective chlorohexidines is in preventing VAP. It is evident that taking more measures to ensure better oral care could drastically reduce VAP infection rates. Nonetheless, in many randomized controlled trials, the question of whether chlorohexidine is indeed effective and the right proportions are still controversial. Various statistical analyses indicate that using chlorohexidine can help reduce VAP incidences. The study is for the use of chlorohexidine.

5. Munro, C.L., Grap,. Grap,. M.J., Jones, D.J., McClish, D.K., & Sessler, C.N. (2009). CHLOROHEXIDINE TOOTHBRUSHING, AND PREVENTING VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA IN CRITICALLY ILL ADULTS. American Journal of Critical Care: An official Publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 18 (5), 428-438. http://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2009792

There hasn't been sufficient study in the area of oral care among critically ill patients. It is an emerging critical issue. This study looked into how tooth brushing and/or the use of chlorohexidine help reduce patients' risk of contracting VAP in ICUs. The hypothesis was that oral interventions would reduce VAP incidences. They concluded that Chlorohexidine helped reduce VAP in those patients not having pneumonia at baseline.

6. Snyders, O., Khondowe, O., & Bell, J. (2011). Oral chlorohexidine in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill adults in the ICU: A systematic review. Southern African Journal of Critical Care, 27 (2), 48-56.

The study looked into the evidence on how effective oral chlorohexidine was in preventing VAP in adults that were critically ill and were under mechanical ventilation in the ICU. The study revealed that there was a drop of 36% in VAP risk when chlorohexidine was used. Using 2% chlorohexidine might be the most effective way to reduce VAP incidences. There hasn't been sufficient evidence from such studies that correlated oral care to reduced VAP infections. The study's primary aim was systematically appraising and reviewing evidence on chlorohexidine's effectiveness on reducing VAP incidence in adult patients under mechanical ventilation versus the use of a placebo (control).

7. Belamurugan, E., Kanimozhi, A., & Kumari, G., (2012). Effectiveness of Chlorohexidine oral decontamination in reducing the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia: A meta-analysis. British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 5(1).

It was found that oral decontamination can help reduce significantly the incidence of VAP and this has important effects on the cost of healthcare. The study acknowledged that studying oral decontamination in preventing VAP in patients under mechanical ventilation remains a controversial topic since the inception of the subject, due partly to the discordance in various trials. The meta-analysis revealed that chlorohexidine can be a safe cost-saving antiseptic in VAP prevention among mechanically ventilated patients.

8. Sharma, S.K. & Kaur, J. (2012). Randomized Control Trial on Efficacy of Chlorohexidine Mouth Care in Prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP). Nursing and Midwifery research, 8(2).

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the common problems that come with mechanical ventilation. Nonetheless, making improvements in oral hygiene may help patients avoid VAP. Further, the study found that having the mechanical ventilation for a longer period lead to a higher infection rate; but even with longer durations, the use of chlorohexidine was effective. It is therefore recommended that mouth care be provided two times daily with chlorohexidine to those under mechanical ventilation so as to prevent VAP.

9. Hiller, B., Wilson, C., Chamberlain, D., & King, L. (2013). Preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia through oral care, product selection, and application method; A literature review. AACN advanced critical care, 24 (1), 38-58.

General care helps reduce VAP in the Intensive Care Unit. Chrolohexidine is the preferred product for oral care. The most recommended concentration is 0.12%. At least one study recommends 2% chlorohexidine. A recommendation made for practice is developing and implementing oral health care protocols. This can be followed by the development of guidelines to help guide healthcare professionals on the most appropriate technique under various circumstances. It is essential that oral care protocols be implemented in ICU if we are to see VAP risk drop.

10. Andrews, T., & Steen, C. (2013). A review of oral preventive strategies to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nursing in Critical Care, 18 (3), 116-122. doi:1111/nicc.12002

This article evaluates the efficacy of and evidence of using chlorohexidine and mechanical hygiene in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia. There is evidence supporting chlorohexidine use in the reduction of VAP incidence, but the effect is much stronger in cardiosurgical patients. If ventilator care bundles are to incorporate oral decontamination then, according to research, 2% concentration…

Sources used in this document:
References

Klompas, M., Speck, K., Howell, M. D., Greene, L. R., & Berenholtz, S. M. (2014). Reappraisal of routine oral care with chlorhexidine gluconate for patients receiving mechanical ventilation: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine, 174(5), 751-761.

Zhang, T., Tang, S., & Fu, L. (2014). The effectiveness of different concentrations of chlorhexidine for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a meta-analysis. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 23(11/12), 1461-1475. doi:10.1111/jocn.12312

Tablan OC, Anderson LJ, Besser R, Bridges C & Hajjeh R (2004) Guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated pneumonia, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 53, 1-36.

Pruitt, B., & Jacobs, M. (2006). BEST-PRACTICE INTERVENTIONS: How can you prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia? (Cover story). Nursing, 36(2), 36-42.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Pneumonia Is a Lung Infection Caused by
Words: 648 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria, virus, or fungus. The most direct endogenous sources of any of these microorganisms include infected nasal carriers, sinusitis, oropharynx, gastric, or tracheal colonization, and hematogenous spread (Alcon Fabregas & Torres, 2005). Although much is known about pneumonia, it remains the leading infectious cause of hospitalization and death in the United States ("Pneumonia," n.d.). One of the reasons why pneumonia is common is

Pneumonia and Timely Antibiotic Therapy
Words: 1399 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Proposal

Pneumonia and Timely Antibiotic Therapy The purpose of this project to educate hospital staff concerning the fact that research supports a best practice protocol that pneumonia patients should be provided with antibiotics within 4 hours of being admitted to the hospital. Pneumonia is defined by Evans and Tippins (2007) as being "an acute inflammation of the lower respiratory tract most commonly due to viral and bacterial infection. Areas or lobes of

Pneumonia Case Study the General Statistics and
Words: 1370 Length: 5 Document Type: Case Study

Pneumonia Case Study The general statistics and facts about the patient are as follows. The patient is a Caucasian whit e email that is 52 years old. She was admitted to St. Mary's hospital on 12/12/2012. She stood a bit over five feet tall and weighed around 128 pounds. She was married with two grown children and lives in a small camping trailer as opposed to a conventional home or apartment/room. Both

Pneumonia in Children Young Children
Words: 604 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

The best nursing practice in the specific case would be not only the direct care of the young patient, but also the inclusion of the family in the in house hospital care as to provide an example of what is to be done at home in order to prevent relapse. Many family members might mistakenly believe that their own form of care will be sufficient in the case of a

Pneumonia: Analysis, Evaluation & Critique
Words: 1006 Length: 3 Document Type: Thesis

These factors were examined in the work of Tolentino-DelosReyes, et al. (2007) who report themselves having conducted a study and in the form of the administration of a test containing ten items which was developed for the purpose of scoring the nurse on knowledge related to VAP. These questions were comprised by a Powerpoint presentation utilized by the project director in the education sessions in the CCU and SICU.

Pneumonia Readmissions Among Nursing Home Residents
Words: 2858 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

Topic: Pneumonia readmissions among nursing home residents 65 years and older in the United States of America. Backdrop of the dilemma Pneumonia remains an extreme health condition in America. It accounts for roughly 1 million medical-center admissions and over 50,000 fatalities yearly. Roughly ten to twenty percent of pneumonia occurrences need admittance to the Intensive Care Unit or ICU.  Moreover, pneumonia accounts for near to 140,000 medical-center readmissions each year, pricing in

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now