Abstract
The number needed to treat can be calculated for ventilator-associated pneumonia reduction strategies such as subglottic secretion drainage technology based on previous work establishing its relative risk reduction. Assuming an incidence of 4%, employing subglottic secretion drainage in 33 patients will prevent one case of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and thus potentially 4 cases annually in an average hospital in the United States. With a previously described limit of £300 ($470 USD) additional cost per 10 days of ventilation as a threshold of investment for technologies to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia, subglottic secretion drainage technology is both clinically and cost effective.
Highlights
The number needed to treat can be calculated for ventilator-associated pneumonia reduction strategies such as subglottic secretion drainage technology based on previous work establishing its relative risk reduction
Smulders and colleagues [2] conducted a randomized clinical trial in 150 patients receiving mechanical ventilation and found that intermittent Subglottic secretion drainage (SSD) reduced the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) by 75% (P = 0.014)
At the assumed VAP rate of 4%, Wyncoll and Camporota determined an upper threshold of £300 ($470 USD) additional cost per 10 days of ventilation to be a cost-effective investment in technologies that reduce VAP by up to 75%
Summary
The number needed to treat can be calculated for ventilator-associated pneumonia reduction strategies such as subglottic secretion drainage technology based on previous work establishing its relative risk reduction. Smulders and colleagues [2] conducted a randomized clinical trial in 150 patients receiving mechanical ventilation and found that intermittent SSD reduced the risk of VAP by 75% (P = 0.014). Utilizing Wyncoll and Camporota’s table, and assuming a VAP incidence of 4%, utilizing SSD in 33 patients will prevent one episode of VAP.
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