A bundled approach to care: reducing the incidence of postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing hepatectomy and Whipple procedures.

Postoperative occurrence of pneumonia can increase lengths of stay, risk of morbidity and death and health care costs. At Toronto General Hospital, we identified a high incidence of postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing hepatectomy and Whipple procedures in 2016. To reduce the incidence of postoperative pneumonia, we implemented an evidence-based bundle approach in 2017. The bundle included the following components: oral care, incentive spirometry, coughing and deep breathing, physical activity, elevation of the head of the bed, and patient and family education. In addition to the bundle components, we provided staff education and created patient education and monitoring tools to ensure competency and compliance with the bundle components. Data collected as part of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program were reviewed to monitor progress. In this article, we discuss our approach, aimed to reduce the incidence of postoperative pneumonia and associated health care costs in the general surgery population.

The impact of a clinical pathway on patient postoperative recovery following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Pancreaticoduodenectomies (PD) are complex surgical procedures. Clinical pathways (CPW) are surgical process improvement tools that guide postoperative recovery and are associated with high quality care. Our objective was to report the quality of surgical care following implementation of a CPW. METHODS: We developed and implemented a CPW for patients undergoing PD at a single high volume hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) centre. Patient outcomes were collected prospectively during the implementation period. A comparator cohort was selected by identifying patients that underwent a PD prior to CPW development. RESULTS: 122 patients underwent a PD during the CPW implementation period; 83 patients were initiated on the CPW. 74 patients underwent PD during the 12-month period prior to the CPW. The median hospital stay decreased after the implementation of the CPW (11 vs 8 days, p < 0.01) with no significant changes to mortality, morbidity, reoperation, or readmission rates. In-hospital complications were significantly higher in patients that were not initiated on the CPW (54% vs 74%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Results suggest the CPW reduced variability and allowed a greater proportion of patients to receive all elements of care, resulting in improved quality and efficiency of care based on current best evidence recommendations.