Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) reports NV-HAP as a top threat to patient safety in 2022

During Patient Safety Awareness Week, the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) released a report on ‘Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns of 2022.’ The annual list, issued by the nation’s largest independent nonprofit patient safety organization, is established though scientific literature reviews, safety concerns reported to ECRI, and various other data sources.

Non-ventilator healthcare-associated pneumonia (NV-HAP) is number six on the list

Among the top 10 patient safety concerns is NV-HAP. ECRI states that “despite the attention placed on ventilator-associated pneumonia, NV-HAP diagnoses in the United States make up 65% of (hospital-acquired pneumonia) cases.” Additionally, NV-HAP has been associated with an increased length-of-stay, increased antibiotic usage, and an increase in hospital readmissions.

To address NV-HAP, ECRI recommends a prevention bundle. Within this bundle, ECRI lists comprehensive oral care and the use of an evidence-based protocol among other interventions.

ECRI’s Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns 2022 special report provides detailed steps that organizations can take to reduce the risk of adverse incidents. Read the executive summary and download the report here.

Learn more about Sage’s Oral Care interventions that address risk factors for non-ventilator associated pneumonia here.