Maintaining ventilator tubing at low position for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Abstract

Objective To study the role of maintaining ventilator tubing at low position in prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods From January 2010 through December 2011, 110 cases with invasive mechanical ventilation in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were randomly divided into observation group (n =55) and control group (n =55). The patients of control group were given conventional prevention method including the head elevated 30°-45°. The patients of observation group were given prevention method of keeping ventilator tubing at low position in addition to conventional prevention method so as to avoid the condensate in ventilator tubing into the airway. After mechanical ventilation support for 28 days,the incidence of VAP,duration of mechanical ventilation,length of ICU stay,incidence of condensate flowing back,clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) and mortality were respectively recorded. At the same time,risk of mistakenly extubation by nurses was recorded. Results The comparison between two groups showed the incidence of VAP (16.36% vs. 34.55%), duration of mechanical ventilation (5.86 ±2.66) d vs. (11.24 ±3.80) d,length of stay in the ICU (13.60 ±4.83) d vs. (19.58 ±5.27) d,incidence of condensate backflow (3.64% vs. 49.09%), presenting significant differences between two groups (P 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in risk of mistakenly extubation between two groups (P >0.05). Conclusion Maintaining the ventilator tubing at low position can reduce the incidence of VAP,improve the prognosis,and the risk of mistakenly extubation did not increase compared with the conventional methods Key words: Ventilator-associated pneumonia; Clinical pulmonary infection score; Ventilator tubing; Prognosis