• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.42-55
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• 2009

Purpose: Despite numerous evidence based preventive strategies of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) have been introduced, the incidence rate of VAP continues in an unacceptable range. The purposes of this review were to identify risk factors and diagnosis of VAP and to introduce current evidence based preventive strategies of VAP. Methods: A comprehensive literature search using keywords, including ventilator associated pneumonia were entered into a search engine. A number of highly pertinent papers relevant to the purpose of the review were identified. The papers that discussed specific preventive strategies of VAP were selected for analysis and inclusion in this review. Results: A number of evidence based preventive strategies that nurses can implement in their clinical practice to prevent VAP were identified. Such strategies include hand washing, use of protective gloves and gowns, oral care, stress ulcer prophylaxis, avoidance of unnecessary intubation, weaning protocol, sedation vacation, use of non-invasive ventilation, semi-recumbent position, continuous aspiration of subglottic secretions, and maintenance of proper endotracheal tube cuff pressure. Staff education is essential in preventing VAP. Conclusion: Preventive strategies of VAP should be applied to daily nursing care and each critical nurse should play a functional role in preventing VAP.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5787-5791
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• 2014

Background: With increasing survival periods and diversification of treatment methods, treatment of critically ill cancer patients has become an important factor influencing patient prognosis. Patients with cancer are at high risk of infections and subsequent complications. This study investigated the incidence and factors contributing to the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study investigated the incidence of VAP and factors leading to infection in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a cancer center from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013. Results: The incidence of VAP was 2.13 cases per 1,000 days of intubation, and 13 of 288 patients (4.5%) developed VAP. Lung cancer was the most common cancer associated with VAP (N=7, 53.9%), and longer hospital stays and intubation were associated with increased VAP incidence. In the group using a "ventilator bundle," the incidence was 1.14 cases per 1,000 days compared to 2.89 cases per 1,000 days without its use; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.158). Age (${\geq}65$, OR=5.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.29-23.95), surgery (OR=3.78, 95%CI=1.05-13.78), and tracheotomy (OR=4.46, 95%CI=1.00-19.85) were significant VAP risk factors. The most common causative organisms were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (N=4, 30.8% each), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii and Candida albicans (N=2, 15.4% each). Conclusions: The incidence of pneumonia among critically ill cancer patients is highest in those with lung cancer, but lower than among non-cancer patients. The length of hospital stay and time on mechanical ventilation are important risk factors for development of VAP. Although not statistically significant, "ventilator bundle" care is an effective intervention that delays or reduces incidence of VAP. Major risk factors for VAP include age (${\geq}65$ years), surgery, and tracheostomy, while fungi, gram-negative bacteria, and multidrug-resistant organisms were identified as the major causative pathogens of VAP in this study.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was intended to examine the effects of educating the Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) control for the nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: The study was conducted using one group pre-post test research design. The education on infection control was provided to 31 nurses working at the medical and surgical ICUs. A comparison was then made in terms of the degree of performing infection control a month before, two weeks after, and three months after the education respectively. The incidences of VAP at the medical and surgical ICUs were compared for 3 months before and after the education. Results: The average performance scores between before and after the education showed statistically significant differences. Compared to three months before, the incidence of VAP after the education was decreased slightly from 5.48 to 1.88 per 1,000 ventilator days. Conclusion: It is necessary to continue the VAP education, specifically on infection prevention and control methods and the consistent evaluation of its effects as well as the development of standardized educational program should be approached extensively in further studies.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.155-166
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• 2009

Purpose: This study developed and evaluated a systematic intervention among medical ICU nurses for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (hereafter VAP). Methods: A VAP prevention program was proposed based on a literature review, revised to fit the target situation, and validated. It was composed of one-time interventions including education, pamphlets, hand cultures, and a quiz event, as well as repeated interventions such as posters, reminders, posting hand culture results, and performance feedback. A simulated control group pretest-posttest design was used to verify the effectiveness of the VAP control program. The incidence of VAP among ICU patients was measured both during 3 months before (n=80) and during 3 months after (n=75) intervention. Results: The VAP prevention program's effectiveness, with a pre-intervention VAP rate of 17.38 and post-intervention rate of 11.04 per 1,000 ventilator days, showed a clinical tendency to decrease, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=.750). Conclusion: A VAP prevention program of multiple interventions can be useful in decreasing the VAP rate. Given that the monthly decrease in the VAP rate was not considered statistically significant, long-term research needs to be done. Additionally, since this study targeted only nurses, it is suggested that future research targets other health care workers who can influence VAP rates.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of oral hygiene for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) incidence. Methods: This study was used a nonequivalent control group posttest design. This study was performed in two groups, experimental group and control group. The experimental group (36 patients) had performed oral care for 6 times a day. The control group (39 patients) had followed and 3 times oral care a day. Participants were patients of 20 years of age or older on mechanical ventilation more than 48 hours from July 5 to October 31 in 2007 at the medical and surgical ICU of C university hospital. Results: VAP occurred in 5 cases in the control group, while only 1 case occurred in the experimental group. Incidence for 1000 ventilator day was 12.59 in the control group and 2.18 in the experimental group. Conclusion: Nursing intervention of 6 times oral care a day proved to decrease incidence of VAP. A guideline should be made using the above nursing intervention for the critical ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.44-55
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• 2001

Background : This study aimed at identifying the effect of the standardized protocol on lowering the incidence of the ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP). Methods : The standard protocol focusing on decreasing VAP was made and applied at 5 ICUs (Medical ICU, surgical ICU, Respiratory ICU, Neonatal ICU, Pediatric ICU) in a university affiliated tertiary hospital, from April 1, 2000 to Oct 31, 2000. The protocol involved 3 parts : hand washing, the suctioning method and ventilator circuit management. All the nursing personnel received intensive education which was consisted of lecture, video film and demonstration. 176 nurses reported the performance of handwashing pre and post intervention. And randomly selected 15 nurses were observed by charge nurse and the handwashing practice was analyzed pre and post intervention. The incidence of VAP was compared with the former year incidence. Results : The self reported frequency of hand washing increased. In the direct observation of handwashing, the frequency, time, thoroughness of hand washing during 8 hours day duty was found to be improved. The frequency was increased from 1.1 time to 4.1 times; the time was improved from 1.7 seconds to 5.7 seconds and the thoroughness of the washing practice was from 0.2 times to 3.0 times respectively (p<0.001). The incidence of VAP decreased from at a rate of 15.63 number of case per 1,000 ventilator-day (April 1~August 31, 1999) to 7.23 number of case per 1,000 ventilator-days(April 1~Oct 31, 2000)(P<0.001). Conclusion : We developed the protocols which included hand washing, the suctioning method, and ventilator circuit management. Through the implementation of the protocol, the performance of hand washing improved and the VAP incidence rate in ICU was decreased.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.737-743
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• 1995

Background: Pneumonia is a frequent complication in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, Quantitative culture of protected specimen brush(PSB) have shown satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. However PSB method is invasive, expensive, and require a bronchoscopic procedure. But endotracheal aspiration(EA) is simple and less expensive. The purpose of our study was to investigate the diagnosic value of EA quantitative cultures. Method: We studied 15 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia(for >72h of mechanical ventilation) patients. Patients were divided into two diagnostic categories. Group I was the patients who were suspicious of clinical pneumonia, Group II was the patients for control. The obtained samples by EA and PSB were homogenized for quantitative culture with a calibrated loop method in all patients. Result: Using $10^3cfu/ml$, $10^5cfu/ml$ as threshold in quantitative culture of PSB, EA respectively, we found that EA quantitative cultures represented a relatively sentive(70%) and relatively specific (60%) method to diagnose the ventilator-associated pneumonia. Conclusion: Although EA quantitative cultures are less specific than PSB for diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia. EA quantitative cultures correlated with PSB quantitative culture in patients with clinical pneumonia and may be used to treat these patients when bronchoscopic procedures are not available.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2018

Purpose: Cardiomyopathy is becoming the leading cause of death in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy because mechanically assisted lung ventilation and assisted coughing have helped resolve respiratory complications. To clarify cardiopulmonary function, we compared cardiac function between the home ventilator-assisted and non-ventilator-assisted groups. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy from January 2010 to March 2016 at Gangnam Severance Hospital. Demographic characteristics, pulmonary function, and echocardiography data were investigated. Results: Fifty-four patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were divided into 2 groups: home ventilator-assisted and non-ventilator-assisted. The patients in the home ventilator group were older ($16.25{\pm}1.85years$) than those in the nonventilator group ($14.73{\pm}1.36years$) (P=0.001). Height, weight, and body surface area did not differ significantly between groups. The home ventilator group had a lower seated functional vital capacity ($1,038{\pm}620.41mL$) than the nonventilator group ($1,455{\pm}603.2mL$). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening were greater in the home ventilator group, but the data did not show any statistical difference. The early ventricular filling velocity/late ventricular filling velocity ratio ($1.7{\pm}0.44$) was lower in the home ventilator group than in the nonventilator group ($2.02{\pm}0.62$. The mitral valve annular systolic velocity was higher in the home ventilator group (estimated ${\beta}$, 1.06; standard error, 0.48). Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy on a ventilator may have better systolic and diastolic cardiac functions. Conclusion: Noninvasive ventilator assistance can help preserve cardiac function. Therefore, early utilization of noninvasive ventilation or oxygen may positively influence cardiac function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 1993

A clinical evaluation was performed with a population of 49 patients of chest trauma, who were diagnosed to undergo ventilator therapy, and had gone through ventilator therapy at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyungpook University Hospital. One of most common causes of chest trauma was vehicle accidents [77.5%] with the prevalent age group being their forties. The common findings were multiple rib fractures [89.8%], hemopneumothrax [81.6%], lung contusion [61.2%] and flail chest [44.9%]. Their common combined injuries were the orthopedics and neurosugical injuries [86.7%]. Complications caused by chest trauma were pneumonia, respiratory failure, atelectasis, barotrauma and empyema. Pulmonary infections were commonly associated with mechanical ventilation in the long term group and were best prevented by using bronchial hygiene therapy.The mortality rate was 5.8% of the total patients and that was 38.8% of the patients, who needed ventilator therapy. The causes of death were pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute renal failure and hypovolemic shock. Mechanical ventilation has an important place in the treatment of patients with severe chest trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.833-837
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• 1994

Lung contusion due to blunt chest trauma is the most common lung injury and correlated with the clinical course and prognosis. Its diagnosis by CT[Computerized Tomogram] gives a more clear and understandable three dimensional view, by which we are able to measure the volume of the contused and entire lung. Other variables are arterial blood gas, number of rib fracture, presence of hemopneumothorax, sternal fracture and clavicle fracture, number of associated non-thoracic injuries, ventilator time and presence of pulmonary complication. Percentage[%] of lung contusion are expressed as mean $\pm$ standard deviation and data analysis was performed by means of multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance to detect significant differences in variables between positive thoracic injury group and negative group. The paired t-test was used. Differences of percentage of lung contusion between groups were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. Simple linear regression was used to perform correlation analysis in the number of rib fracture and ventilator time. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Pneumothorax and the number of associated other injuries affect the amount of lung contusion and pulmonary complication group has more contused lung volume. Arterial blood gas study shows no correlation with the amount of lung contusion statistically. The number of rib fracture correlated with the amount of lung contusion, which also correlated with ventilator time[r=0.56, p<0.05]. In conclusion, quantitative anlysis of lung contusion by CT predicts the clinical course and treatment such as ventilator care.