Weekly, High-Risk Rounds Reduced Hospital-Acquired Conditions in Pediatric ICU

FRIDAY, Feb. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Implementing weekly, high-risk rounds in the pediatric intensive care unit reduces the risk for hospital-acquired conditions, according to a study published Feb. 1 in Critical Care Nurse.

Sara Galt, R.N., from Children”s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, and colleagues implemented a novel interprofessional high-risk, weekly rounding program to improve unit work culture and address increased hospital-acquired condition rates in a pediatric intensive care unit at a quaternary care center. The analysis included 624 rounds for 488 unique patients conducted over two years.

The researchers found that rounds resulted in 351 interventions, including escalation of concerns, direct patient care, resource procurement, and education. Compared with patients who did not receive rounds, those who received high-risk rounds were less likely to incur a hospital-acquired condition. There was a significant negative association between hospital-acquired conditions and receipt of high-risk rounds (Χ² = 22.5). Over time, the mean rate of project hospital-acquired conditions decreased from 5.41 to 2.89 events per 1,000 patient days, with high-risk rounds preventing an estimated 50 hospital-acquired conditions during the project period.

“Our high-risk rounds focus on the underlying risks for multiple hospital-acquired conditions and extend prevention efforts “beyond the bundle,” in a collaborative and supportive way,” coauthor Michele M. Loi, M.D., also from Children”s Hospital Colorado, said in a statement. “The approach can be easily adapted for changes in patient population and different clinical needs.”

Abstract/Full Text