Good practices in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Objective: To evaluate the compliance of health professionals with a set of good practices for the prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, compliance index to individual measures and association of clinical characteristics of patients and compliance with the set of good practices with pneumonia. Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted at an Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital from May 2017 to October 2017. The sample consisted of patients hospitalized during the study period, who met the inclusion criteria. Data collection was performed through review of medical records. Results: The item with the highest compliance was the daily assessment of sedation and reduction 81 (91.0%) whenever possible, followed by circuit changes every 7 days, 76 (82.6%). The maintenance of cuff pressure between 20- and 30-mm H2O was the item with the lowest compliance 22 (23.9%). Compliance with the complete set showed adherence in 20 (21.7%) of opportunities. This study showed that the greater compliance with good practice measures, the lower the risk of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, but it was not statistically signifi cant data. Surgical and mechanical ventilation patients had a higher risk of developing VAP (p=0.05). Conclusion: Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia can cause serious repercussions for patients. Thus, the application of measures with scientifi c basis is fundamental to prevent the occurrence of this event, which is one of the most frequent infections related to health care within Brazilian Intensive Care Units.