Quality improvement project to reduce infection indicators in intensive care.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze incidence density indicators of healthcare-associated infections before and after implementation of a quality improvement project in an intensive care unit.

Method: A quasi-experimental study, conducted between January 2017 and December 2020, included the period before and after the implementation of a quality improvement project to reduce infection incidence density indicators in an intensive care unit of a hospital in Rio de Janeiro. Data were collected in 2022 from the database of the Hospital Infection Control Commission and analyzed through time series.

Results: After the project, the incidence density of ventilator-associated pneumonia decreased from 28.3 cases/1000 ventilator days to 16.5; bloodstream infections decreased from 20.8 cases/1000 catheter days to 7.5; and urinary tract infections decreased from 2.8 cases/1000 indwelling bladder catheter days to zero.

Conclusion: The quality improvement project had an impact on the reduction of infection incidence density indicators, reinforcing the importance of epidemiological surveillance in directing actions aimed at improving quality and patient safety.