Ventilator-associated pneumonia

Ventilator-associated-pneumonia (VAP) is a major morbid outcome among critically ill patients. Risk of developing it increases over time, with a cumulative rate of approximately 15 cases per 1,000 ventilator-days. However, the conditional risk actually decreases over time, reflecting the high rate of early-onset VAP. The microbial etiology of VAP is profoundly influenced by prior antimicrobial therapy and by the duration of mechanical …