Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia
| Course Id | 211108 |
| Course Name | Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia |
| Course Catagory | Respiratory Care, Nursing and General Healthcare |
| Course Price | 33.54 |
| Course CEU | 3 |
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
- Define healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and describe current national surveillance systems used to track them.
- Explain the epidemiology, economic burden, and mortality impact of nosocomial pneumonia in acute care settings.
- Identify the microbial etiologies, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and host risk factors associated with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
- Describe current CDC, NHSN, and IDSA/ATS diagnostic criteria and surveillance definitions for HAP and VAP.
- Apply evidence-based VAP prevention bundles, including oral care protocols, head-of-bed elevation, sedation vacation, and cuff pressure management.
- Describe the role of aspiration, biofilm formation, and oropharyngeal colonization in the development of nosocomial pneumonia.
- Identify current infection prevention strategies for Aspergillus, Legionella, and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in healthcare settings.
- Explain proper cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and management of respiratory therapy equipment per current guidelines.
- Identify vaccines recommended for healthcare workers and high-risk patient populations to reduce pneumonia-related morbidity.
- Describe the respiratory therapist's role in antimicrobial stewardship, early mobilization, and interprofessional infection prevention programs.