In a bid to improve patient safety post the 2008 Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program and update procedures interrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the focus now shifts towards an overlooked hospital-acquired infection—non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP). Despite contributing to a substantial number of fatalities and significantly increasing healthcare costs, most hospitals don’t maintain surveillance for NV-HAP, nor do they have operative prevention protocols in place.
A recent extensive study spanning 284 US hospitals identified NV-HAP to be responsible for one in 14 hospital deaths, painting a clear picture of the harm it can inflict. Given these serious repercussions, various large health systems, including the Veterans Health Administration, Kaiser Permanente Hospitals, and Sutter Health, have initiated safety measures to reduce NV-HAP. These proactive measures have not only lowered mortality rates but also brought notable improvements in quality metrics.
Nevertheless, formulating and sustaining NV-HAP prevention programs remains a challenge across many institutions. The foundation to overcome this challenge relies on a well-structured program and an efficiently equipped toolkit. A successful case of addressing NV-HAP risks was reported by a hospital in Iowa, where they collaborated with Stryker Sage to employ their oral care tools and saw a significant decrease in NV-HAP cases.
Establishing these prevention programs begins with the investigation of NV-HAP prevalence. By using ICD-10 codes for mapping out NV-HAP cases and surveying patient oral care practices, hospitals can gain a solid understanding of the current scenario. Following this, initiatives to enhance the standardization of oral care and provide high-quality oral care supplies can drastically improve conditions.
Importantly, constant monitoring of program results and successfully navigating through dynamic institutional challenges paves the way for NV-HAP prevention. This blueprint for success emphasizes the need for interprofessional partnerships and holistic community engagement. With the right steps and a comprehensive understanding of NV-HAP’s incidence, hospitals can create a safer, more protected environment for their patients.