Effect of the Ventilator Care Bundle Occurrence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia among Pediatrics

Abstract Background: In pediatric intensive care units (ICUs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most prevalent infections linked to healthcare. VAP affects 10% of children on mechanical ventilation and is linked to severe morbidity and mortality. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the ventilator care bundle (VCB) on the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia among pediatric patients. Design: A pre posttest quasi experimental research design was utilized in the present study. Setting: Thisstudy was conducted in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Cairo University Specialized Pediatric Hospital (CUSPH). Sample: A convenience sample of 30 nurses and a purposive sample of 60 ventilated children in the PICU participated in the present study. Children were divided into two equal groups: 30 as a control group and 30 as a study group. Nurses were the same for the study and control groups. Tools: Data collection was performed through 1) structured interview sheet, 2) the Nurses' Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire (pre-posttest), 3) the Ventilator bundle checklist, and 4) the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Scale (CPIS). Results: More than two-fifths of the children on MV participated in the present study, and half of the children in the control group were aged 1 year to less than 3 years. Less than two-thirds of the studied children and more than half of the control group were females. Two-fifths and half the order of the children in both groups were ranked as the second and third children, respectively, within the family, while more than one-third of the children in both groups complained of shock. More than one-quarter of the children in both groups complained of disturbance consciousness. There were statistically significant differences detected between the total mean scores of nurses' knowledge and practice before/after the use of the ventilator care bundle (P < 0.01). There was a statistically significant difference between the total mean score on the CPIS between the study group and the control group (t= - 3.692, p= .001). Conclusion: The study concluded that children who were cared for by nurses receiving VCB sessions were less likely to experience VAP than were those in the control group. Recommendation: Educational programs and in-service training courses for pediatric nurses to increase the quality of ventilator care for children and its benefits for the occurrence of VAP are essential.