Introduction

Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE) in children—including infants and neonates—reflect clinically significant deterioration during mechanical ventilation and may be associated with infection, atelectasis, pulmonary edema, ventilator-related lung injury, or complications of sedation and fluid management. Pediatric patients have unique anatomical, physiological, and developmental considerations that influence ventilation strategies, secretion clearance, airway safety, and tolerance to procedures. The Pediatric VAE Prevention Program is designed to strengthen clinical competence in pediatric-specific ventilator care, early recognition of deterioration, and standardized preventive workflows, enabling multidisciplinary teams to reduce avoidable ventilator-related complications while maintaining safety, comfort, and evidence-based care.

Scope

This program focuses on pediatric and neonatal-appropriate prevention strategies across the ventilator care continuum, including:

• Core concepts: pediatric VAE overview, clinical impact, and preventable pathways
• Pediatric ventilation fundamentals: age-related respiratory physiology, common causes of deterioration
• Airway and secretion management: suctioning safety, humidification, secretion clearance, and airway patency
• Aspiration prevention and feeding safety: positioning, reflux considerations, enteral feeding precautions
• Oral care and infection prevention practices adapted for pediatric populations
• Sedation/analgesia considerations and strategies to reduce ventilator days safely
• Readiness assessment for weaning and extubation support (team-based approach)
• Prevention of atelectasis and support for lung recruitment (as per unit protocols)
• Documentation, monitoring, audits, and quality improvement aligned with pediatric ICU workflows

Objectives

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Explain pediatric-specific factors that contribute to ventilator-associated deterioration
• Identify early warning signs of worsening respiratory status in ventilated children
• Implement standardized pediatric ventilator care practices to reduce preventable events
• Apply safe airway, secretion, oral care, and aspiration prevention protocols consistently
• Support timely weaning through structured readiness assessment and coordinated teamwork
• Improve reliability of care using checklists, audits, and competency-based reinforcement
• Contribute to unit-level safety culture and continuous improvement in ventilated pediatric care

Who can enroll

This program is intended for healthcare teams involved in ventilated pediatric and neonatal patient care, including:

• PICU/NICU nurses, pediatric critical care nurses, and high-dependency unit nursing staff
• Pediatric intensivists, neonatologists, pediatricians, residents, and interns
• Respiratory therapists/respiratory care professionals supporting pediatric ventilation
• Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) teams and hospital infection control nurses
• Quality managers, patient safety officers, pediatric clinical educators, and unit trainers
• Hospital administrators and accreditation coordinators involved in pediatric safety initiatives

Study content on TERRALEAP.COM

Participants receive structured learning resources through TERRALEAP.COM, including:

To support learning and practical implementation, this program includes videos and PDF-based study resources provided through TERRALEAP.COM.