Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs. Before the use of antibiotics, pneumonia was the number one cause of death in the United States. Timely use of the correct antibiotics, and other supportive therapy, can be lifesaving. Pneumonia affects all age groups, and is still the leading cause of death among the elderly and the chronically ill.
Pneumonia -- The Five Quality and Patient Safety Measures
1. Oxygenation assessment
Severe pneumonia can cause less oxygen to reach your blood. If there is too little oxygen in your blood, your body can’t work properly. Giving supplemental oxygen has been shown to improve outcomes in pneumonia patients. Measurement of the oxygen levels should be within 24 hours after the patient arrives at the hospital. The following graph exhibits our performance in performing this oxygen assessment, and the national rates reported by The Joint Commission.
2. Pneumococcal vaccination
A pneumonia vaccination can help prevent certain types of pneumonia. Even for a patient already in the hospital with pneumonia, the vaccination should be considered, since it may decrease the risk of future recurrent pneumonia. Pneumonia patients 65 years and older should be given the vaccine if indicated. The following graph exhibits our performance in giving the pneumococcal vaccination to these patients, and the national rates reported by The Joint Commission.
3. Blood culture
A bacterial culture of the patient’s blood may help decide which antibiotic will work best to treat the pneumonia. Nearly all patients hospitalized with pneumonia should have blood cultures performed. The following graph exhibits our performance in obtaining blood cultures, and the national rates reported by The Joint Commission.
4. Antibiotic with 4 hours
Giving antibiotics to pneumonia patients within 4 hours of admission improves patient outcomes. The following graph exhibits our performance in providing the antibiotic within 4 hours, and the national rates reported by The Joint Commission.
This graph exhibits the average (mean) time we took to provide the antibiotic, compared with the national average time reported by The Joint Commission.
5. Adult smoking cessation counseling for pneumonia patients
Smoking can contribute to pneumonia, and patients who receive counseling regarding smoking cessation are more likely to quit. The following graph exhibits our performance in providing this counseling to pneumonia patients, and the national rates reported by The Joint Commission.
Some of the information is taken from Specifications Manual for National Hospital Quality Measures, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal.
