ABSTRACT

Background: Delirium is defined as an acute, reversible change in baseline cognition that can affect up to 74% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. One way to decrease delirium in ICUs is a multicomponent, evidence-based guide for the coordination of ICU care - the ABCDEF bundle. The bundle includes: Assess, Prevent, and Manage Pain, Both Spontaneous Awakening Trials (SAT) and Spontaneous Breathing Trials (SBT), Choice of analgesia and sedation, Delirium: Assess, Prevent, and Manage, Early mobility and Exercise, and Family engagement and empowerment.

Objective: The purpose of this evidence-based project is to improve nursing knowledge on implementing the ABCDEF bundle in order to reduce rates of delirium in the ICU.

Methods: An educational presentation is used to educate nurses on a surgical ICU about the benefits of the ABCDEF bundle, how to implement it, along with facts about delirium and its management. A pre-test and post-test that addresses ICU delirium and the ABCDEF bundle is used for data collection.

Results: Intended outcome is to increase nursing knowledge about managing ICU delirium by using the ABCDEF bundle, and decrease rates of delirium.

Conclusion: The ABCDEF bundle has been proven to improve patient outcomes such as reduced delirium and coma days, decreased time on mechanical ventilation, shorter hospital stays, and decreased mortality rate.

Key Words: abcdef bundle, delirium, intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, sedation, implementation