Hospital beds and their role in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Hospital beds in the positioning of patients connected to ventilators

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) occurs when there is inflammation of the lung parenchyma caused by an infectious agent that was not present before the patient was connected to a ventilator[2]. A factor that affects the risk of VAP is ventilation lasting more than 48 hours[3]. ICU patients are at particular risk of hospital-associated infections, and this includes the respiratory system. VAP is identified as the most common nosocomial infection in the ICU unit. In studies, up to 28% of mechanically ventilated patients develop this condition[4]. According to the CDC recommendations for prevention in bacterial pneumonia associated with the use of mechanical ventilation acquired in hospitals, patient positioning plays an important role. Hospital beds with the possibility of adjusting the back rest to an angle between 30° and 45° can be helpful. Of course, if there are no other medical contraindications to this[5]. So, as can be seen, hospital beds can support medical staff in the prevention of VAP.

Advanced medical equipment in support of medical staff

Is the angle between the lines in the drawing a 30° angle? Guessing will probably be easier than assessing it in real-life conditions – when looking at hospital beds. Medical equipment manufacturer Famed Żywiec points out that medical staff using hospital beds find it difficult to determine the exact angle of the backrest. From their experience and conversations with ICU staff, they stop adjusting the backrest around 15°, believing that the setting is already somewhere above 30°. It is extremely difficult to determine the correct angle without the support of appropriate technological solutions. This is especially the case when one is faced with ICU beds with the patient, mattress, bedding, anaesthesia tubes, sensors, drips and other ICU equipment. Fortunately, there are now hospital beds on the market equipped with appropriate solutions to support medical staff in correctly positioning the patient.

It is much easier to recognise an angle in a drawing than in person by looking at hospital beds.

The Famed NEXO hospital bed has a function that makes it easier for medical staff to stop the backrest in a 30-degree position.

Hospital beds as an element supporting VAP prevention

So, as you can see, advanced hospital beds are helpful in the prevention of VAP. The CDC recommendations for the prevention of bacterial pneumonia caused by mechanical ventilation, which we cited earlier, show that proper patient positioning can help prevent VAP. Crucial here, however, will be the skills of staff in determining the correct angle of the back section in hospital beds or the use of models that support positioning. The use of technologies such as those implemented by Famed Żywiec will make things much easier. Of course, this is only one of the elements that can help reduce the incidence of this complication in mechanically ventilated patients. Proper patient care will be extremely important here. It is therefore worth taking care at the purchasing stage to select the right ICU hospital bed to select the right ICU hospital bed.