Joint Commission issues pneumonia prevention advisory

Last week, The Joint Commission issued a Quick Safety advisory on preventing non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP). The advisory reviews strategies such as maintaining regular oral care and patient mobility; minimizing the use of acid-suppressing medications and sedation; and educating patients and families about NVHAP prevention. The advisory also calls on hospitals to take action, including by developing operational NVHAP tracking systems to assess the impact of prevention initiatives. (Joint Commission news release, 9/16/21)