Prophylactic probiotics and subglottic endotracheal tubes are cost-effective for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), according to an analysis of VAP prevention methods published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
A multidisciplinary team of US researchers examined a total of 120 unique combinations of VAP prevention strategies in order to determine the preferred VAP prevention strategy, both from the hospital and societal perspectives.
According to their findings, the preferred strategy from the hospital perspective included subglottic suction endotracheal tubes, probiotics, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement VAP Prevention Bundle. In addition, the preferred strategy from the point of view of society also included additional prevention measures (oral care with chlorhexidine and selective oral decontamination).
No preferred strategies included silver endotracheal tubes or selective gut decontamination, the researchers noted. The concluded that, “Despite their infrequent use, current data suggest that the use of prophylactic probiotics and subglottic endotracheal tubes are cost-effective for preventing VAP from both the societal and hospital perspectives.”
