Sustainable improvement in upstream and downstream outcomes for intubated patients three years after an airway-based educational intervention in a low-resource pediatric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether implementation of an education-based intervention can sustainably improve upstream and downstream outcomes in intubated patients in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a low-resource country. DESIGN: Quality improvement study comparing airway-related morbidity in two previously studied patient cohorts pre-intervention (Epoch 1) and immediately post-intervention (Epoch 2) with a third cohort thirty-six months post-intervention (Epoch 3). SETTING: PICU of the largest public children's hospital in El Salvador. PATIENTS: 147 patients under 18 years requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation (MV) met inclusion criteria in the long-term follow-up period and were consecutively sampled without exclusion (Epoch 3) (compared to 98 previously studied patients in the short-term follow-up period (Epoch 2)). INTERVENTION: A low-cost, education-based intervention to close knowledge gaps, improve communication among PICU doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists, and optimize patient outcomes. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome measure was change in unplanned extubation (UE) between Epochs 2 and 3. Other outcomes included use of cuffed endotracheal tubes (ETT), rate of elective ETT change and days of MV. The 17 % decrease in UE previously reported for Epoch 2 was sustained in Epoch 3. There was a statistically significant increase in use of cuffed ETT from 35.7 % in Epoch 2-55.1 % in Epoch 3 (p = 0.003, z-score -2.99). There was also a statistically significant mean difference in rate of elective ETT change per 100 MV days from Epoch 2 to Epoch 3 of 1.7 (p = 0.007; 95 % CI 0.15-0.84). There was no change in MV days from Epoch 2 to Epoch 3 (p-value 0.764; 95 % CI -1.48-2.02). Beyond these quantifiable results, many unanticipated practice changes were observed three years after the initial intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained improvement in upstream and downstream outcomes (UE, cuffed ETT use, elective ETT change) for intubated patients in a low-resource PICU were observed three years after a low-cost, low-touch, education-based intervention.

Practical quality improvement changes for a low-resourced pediatric unit.

Background: This work describes a sustainable and replicable initiative to optimize multi-disciplinary care and uptake of clinical best practices for patients in a pediatric intensive care unit in Low/Middle Income Countries and to understand the various factors that may play a role in the reduction in child mortality seen after implementation of the Quality Improvement Initiative. Methods: This was a longitudinal assessment of a quality improvement program with the primary outcome of intubated pediatric patient mortality. The program was assessed 36 months following implementation of the quality improvement intervention using a t-test with linear regression to control for co-variates. An Impact Pathway model was developed to describe potential pathways for improvement, and context was added with an exploratory analysis of adoption of the intervention and locally initiated interventions. Results: 147 patients were included in the sustainability cohort. Comparing the initial post-implementation cohort to the sustainability cohort, the overall PICU unexpected extubations per 100 days mechanical ventilation decreased significantly from baseline (6.98) to the first year post intervention (3.52; p < 0.008) but plateaued without further significant decrease in the final cohort (3.0; p = 0.73), whereas the mortality decreased from 22.4 (std 0.42) to 9.5% (std 0.29): p value: 0.002 (confidence intervals: 0.05;0.21). The regression model that examined age, sex, diagnosis and severity of illness (via aggregate Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) scores between epochs) yielded an adjusted R-squared (adjusting for the number of predictors) value of 0.046, indicating that approximately 4.6% of the variance in mortality was explained by the predictors included in the model. The overall significance of the regression model was supported by an F-statistic of 3.198 (p = 0.00828). age, weight, diagnosis, and severity of illness. 15 new and locally driven quality practices were observed in the PICU compared to the initial post-implementation time period. The Impact Pathway model suggested multiple unique potential pathways connecting the improved patient outcomes with the intervention components. Conclusion: Sustained improvements were seen in the care of intubated pediatric patients. While some of this improvement may be attributable to the intervention, it appears likely that the change is multifactorial, as evidenced by a significant number of new quality improvement projects initiated by the local clinical team. Although currently limited by available data, the use of Driver Diagram and Impact Pathway models demonstrates several proposed causal pathways and holds potential for further elucidating the complex dynamics underlying such improvements.

A multidisciplinary, video-based, curriculum for management of the intubated and surgical airway patient for a pediatric hospital in El Salvador.

OBJECTIVE: Primary objective is to determine the rate of intubation with inappropriately sized endotracheal tubes (ETTs) in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in El Salvador. Secondary objective is to determine effectiveness of a video-based curriculum to teach local providers on pediatric advanced airway management and surgical approach to patients requiring airway reconstruction. METHODS: Data for 296 intubated pediatric patients was collected over a six month period in a 16-bed PICU in El Salvador. Results of a learning behavior assessment survey completed by local healthcare workers informed a curriculum to complement on-site education during annual surgical airway mission trips. The video-based curriculum addressed proper sizing and use of cuffed endotracheal tubes, care of the intubated child and perioperative considerations of the surgical airway patient. Providers completed pre and post-curriculum quizzes to measure knowledge acquisition. RESULTS: Over 6-months, 281 patients were intubated. Sixty-three percent had improperly sized ETTs. Thirty-one percent had a failed or accidental extubation. All-cause mortality was 24%. One hundred and fifty-nine Salvadorian providers completed a learning behavior survey informing a video-based curriculum. Sixty-four providers completed the curriculum. Post-curriculum quiz scores increased by 18.7%. Surgeons, anesthesiologist, intensivists and speech pathologists demonstrated significant improvement (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Nearly two-thirds of intubated patients in a PICU in El Salvador have improperly sized ETTs and one-third require reintubation following planned or accidental extubation. The development of this first of its kind video-based curriculum for critical care and surgical training regarding how to properly care for the intubated child is coupled with the development of a longitudinal database to record pediatric airway related morbidity and mortality in the largest pediatric hospital in El Salvador. This model and system can be used to track the reduction in airway related morbidity and mortality directly related to a systems based intervention both in El Salvador and then elsewhere.