Presentation description

Non-ventilator Hospital Acquired Pneumonia (NV-HAP) is defined as pneumonia that occurs 48|hours or more after hospital admission. NV-HAP is the #1 hospital acquired infection in the|United States but is not tracked, reported, or prevented by most hospitals. One common cause of|pneumonia is bacteria in the patient's mouth which is aspirated into the lungs. In 2016, the|Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system launched the Hospital Acquired Pneumonia Prevention|by Engaging Nurses (HAPPEN) program, a nurse-led intervention aimed at preventing NV-HAP|by providing oral care. In our study, we aimed to 1) characterize the implementation of HAPPEN|across the VA system and 2) assess whether the implementation of HAPPEN reduced NV-HAP.|Among 3,976,85 hospitalizations in 156 acute care facilities from the VA system, NV-HAP|occurred in 19,313, resulting in an incidence of 0.48 per 100 hospitalizations. Patients with NV-|HAP had more comorbidities such as congestive heart failure (31%) compared to those without|NV-HAP (26%) Those with NV-HAP have a longer hospital length of stay (LOS) compared to|those without NV-HAP (Median 18 vs 4 days). Less than half (46%) of NV-HAP patients were|discharged and returned home compared to 88% of those without NV-HAP. After HAPPEN was|initiated, the incidence of NV-HAP decreased (2015: 0.51, 2016: 0.47 2017: 0.46, 2018: 0.42,|2019: 0.42 per 100 hospitalizations). However, after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NV-HAP|increased (2019=0.42, 2020=0.58, 2021: 0.56 2022=0.48). Though these improvements were|disrupted by the pandemic, NV-HAP incidence rates improved during the implementation of|project HAPPEN.