The American Hospital Association’s “Up” campaign1 can reduce the incidence of nonventilator-associated pneumonia, the leading HAI in a recent study.
The campaign urges basic interventions that reduce patient harm, along the following lines:
- Wake Up: Reducing unnecessary sleepiness and sedation;
- Get Up: Mobilizing patients to return to function more quickly;
- Soap Up: Performing hand hygiene appropriately to reduce the spread of infection;
- Script Up: Evaluating the need for periodic medication changes.
Begin the Up focus by asking three simple questions:
- Is my patient awake enough to get up?
- Have I protected my patient from infection?
- Does my patient need any medication changes?
- Implementing the Up Campaign can result in the following improvements:
- reductions in healthcare-associated infections;
- faster recovery with fewer complications;
- safer medication use, especially narcotics, opiates, and sedatives;
- fewer falls and pressure ulcers/injuries;
- patients transitioning home sooner, stronger, and better able to adapt;
- partnerships with patients and families to prevent harm.
- American Hospital Association. Hospital Improvement Innovation Network. 2017: https://bit.ly/2lU7Vjm.
- Magill SS, O’Leary E, Janele SJ, et al. Changes in Prevalence of Health Care-associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals. N Engl J Med 2018;379:1732-1744.
