Using a Standardized Rounding Tool to Improve the Incidence of Spontaneous Awakening and Breathing Trials

Background Spontaneous awakening and breathing trials have been associated with shorter durations of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit lengths of stay. Local Problem Inconsistent spontaneous awakening trials and spontaneous breathing trials, mechanical ventilation weaning strategies, and interdisciplinary rounding processes contributed to prolonged mechanical ventilation duration and length of stay in a 44-bed adult medical intensive care unit. Methods A standardized rounding tool that focused on coordinating spontaneous awakening and breathing trials, and on their outcomes, was integrated into daily multidisciplinary rounds in a medical intensive care unit. Aggregated patient data from the 4-month project implementation phase were compared with historical data collected for 2 months before project implementation. Results During the 2-month preintervention phase, 613 adult patients were managed in the medical intensive care unit and 41 patients required mechanical ventilation, whereas during the 4-month intervention phase, 1271 patients were managed in the unit and 96 patients required mechanical ventilation. The project was associated with a 24% (0.89-day) reduction in the mean length of stay (3.72 vs 2.83 days) and a 46.3% (2.81 day) reduction in mechanical ventilation duration (6.06 vs 3.25 days) when comparing August 2019 to January 2020. Discussion A standardized rounding tool emphasizing a coordinated process for spontaneous awakening and breathing trials was associated with a shorter length of stay and duration of mechanical ventilation among patients in the medical intensive care unit. Conclusion An evidence-based approach to weaning from mechanical ventilation and standardized rounding may be a cost-effective way to reduce mechanical ventilation duration and length of stay in a medical intensive care unit.