KGMU improves ICU survival rate

The pulmonary and critical care dept adapts new protocols with special focus on reducing hospital based ICU infection

LUCKNOW: By adapting good medical practices (or protocols) of different countries, doctors of the pulmonary and critical care department of the King George’s Medical University have reduced the department’s ICU mortality rate appreciably.

The department is just nine months old. An analysis of the first three months shows the ICU survival rate as 40%. In the last three months, this has gone up to 60%. The overall ICU survival rate of the department, in which 534 patients were admitted, stands at 55%. “Now, our target is to reach 80% survival, which is there in many countries,” said Dr Ved Prakash, senior faculty and the brain behind the department’s ICU management.

Dr Prakash has been instrumental in getting the new protocols implemented with the help of Dr Shailesh Singh who is here from California for the purpose.

Sharing details, Dr Prakash said, “Our teams picked up protocols followed in Australia, Britain and America. We introduced several changes such as using a blood thinner when a patient has been inactive for a long period, and also in how we handle patients on ventilators,” he said.

Special attention is being paid on reducing ICU infection by bringing in small but important changes such as medical staff not touching patients or their beds without first applying hand sanitiser.

“This has ensured that hospital based infection among ICU patients comes down,” said Dr Prakash.

“Also gloves used for one patient have to be discarded as the medical staff leaves to attend to another patient. This ensures that infection from one patient does not pass on to others. Both small and big things have collectively improved the survival rate,” he added.

Dr Prakash said to achieve the desired 80% survival rate, more of these good practices would have to be implemented.

“As hospital based infection is a major reason for prolonged treatment and even death of patients admitted to ICU, our doctors are studying ways to further bring down such infection. We will study the protocols of more hospitals,” he said.

› Our teams picked up protocols followed in Australia, Britain and America. We introduced changes such as using a blood thinner when a patient has been inactive for a long period.

DR VED PRAKASH, sr faculty, KGMU