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Intensive Care Infection
Quality Measures | Brief Explanation of Treatment |
| Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Rate per 1,000 Ventilator Days | Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a lung infection that can happen to patients who are on ventilators (machines to help hem breathe). This infection is very serious. About 15 percent (1 or 2 out of 10) of patients on ventilators get VAP. About half (50 out of 100) the patients with VAP die from it.
Some hospital patients need help breathing, either because they have just had a major operation or because they are very ill. These patients are often placed on a ventilator, a machine that supplies regular breaths through a tube inserted in the patient’s mouth, nose, or through a hole in the front of the neck. Most of these patients recover, and the ventilator can be removed. |
| Central Line Related Blood Stream Infection per 1000 Line Days | Patients who need frequent intravenous (IV) medications, blood, fluid replacement and/or nutrition may have a central venous catheter (or “line”) placed into one of their veins. This line can stay in place for days and even weeks.
Lines are often very helpful. But sometimes they cause infections when bacteria grow in the line and spreads to the patient’s bloodstream. This is called a “catheter-related bloodstream infection” (CR-BSI). It is very serious and 20 percent (or 1 out of 5) of patients who get CR-BSI die from it. |
* The percentage includes only patients whose history and condition indicate the treatment is appropriate. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your treatment.
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