Objective:
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is defined as pneumonia that occurs after the first 48 hours of initiating mechanical ventilation. The aim of this study is to determine anaesthesia residents’ knowledge about evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Material and Methods:
A survey using multiple-choice questionnaire prepared according to the guidelines was designed to evaluate anesthesia residents’ knowledge about prevention of VAP in ICU.
Results:
The mean total score of residents was 49.5±13.2. There were no significant differences between residents’ scores according to their intensive care experencies. A 65.8 % of the responders confirmed that oral route had been recommended for intubation, while 50 % of the participants knew that the ventilator circuits should be changed for each new patient. Heat and moisture exchangers were known as the recommended type of humidifying system by 77 % of the participants and only 18.4 % of them knew that humidifiers should be changed at every 48 hours. Majority (76.3 %) of responders knew that protective gowns, gloves and masks must be used by all personnel during patient contact and 90.7 % of them also knew that hand washing is important measure to prevent VAP. Usage of subglottic drainage and kinetic beds to reduce the incidence of VAP was known by 72.4 % and 38.2 % of the participants, respectively.
Conclusion:
In our study we determined that the knowledge of anesthesia residents working in ICU about the recommen- dations for the prevention of VAP is inadequate. Multidisciplinary and continued educational programmes were needed to perform the preventive measures of VAP.
Keywords: ventilator-associated pneumonia, mechanical ventilation