Objective:
This study aimed to identify the care that nurses and physiotherapists know and consider important for Prevention of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP) in an intensive care unit.
Methods:
This is a descriptive research with qualitative nature. Semi structured interview was carried out from May to September 2011, with 25 professionals in a public hospital of Santa Catarina. For the treatment of data we used the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD).
Results:
The reports led to four discourses related to prevention of VAP which had as central ideas: oral and hands hygiene; prevention of the pulmonary aspiration; cares with the aspiration of secretions and ventilator circuit and daily assessment of the possibility of extubation.
Conclusion:
CSD analysis suggests that professionals have a good theoretical knowledge about preventive actions for VAP, however, reveals the challenge to implement some care in routine assistance.
Intensive Care; Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia; Cross Infection; Nursing care