If a facility has 900 ventilator days and 4,500 patient days, the device utilization ratio is closest to which value?

• A. 0.15
• B. 0.20
• C. 0.25
• D. 0.30

Answer: (B)

Device utilization ratio shows how often patients are on a ventilator during their hospital stay. It’s found by dividing ventilator days by total patient days. In this case, ventilator days are nine hundred and patient days are four thousand five hundred. Nine hundred divided by four thousand five hundred equals one-fifth, so about one in five patient days involve ventilation. The option that represents roughly one-fifth is the correct choice.