Xiaofeng Wang1,#, Da Huo2,3,#, Shuo Li4,#, Wenlong Wang1, Qian Zhang1, Ya Gao5, Xu Wang1,*
Structural and Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.21, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/schd.2026.077612
- 31 March 2026
Abstract Background: This study evaluated the impact of a comprehensive prevention program, which integrated eight evidence-based measures consistent with current clinical guidelines and practice standards, on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates in a pediatric cardiac surgical intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from 2023 to 2024. We compared VAP rates across a 5-month pre-intervention period, a 12-month intervention period, and a 7-month post-intervention period in patients receiving mechanical ventilation for over 48 h. Additional outcomes, including postoperative length of stay were also assessed before and after the intervention. Results: Among 829 at-risk patients and 5677… More >