INCIDENCE, CAUSES AND OUTCOMES OF VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA IN THE MEDICAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Ventilator associated pneumonia is one of the most common h ospital infections. We investigated the prevalence and microbial agents and outcome in patients who was admitted to the medical intensive care unit of Rohani Hospital. This prospective descriptive study is performed in one year from October 2009 to October 2010 in MICU patients that their tracheal intubation time was more than 48 hours. Patients that died in less than 24 hours were excluded. Diagnosis of VAP was based on CPIS. The type of microbes found in the laboratory according to standard biochemical methods. Age and Sex، cause of admission، GCS، duration of mechanical ventilation، length of stay، APACHE score and their outcome related to patients with VAP and without VAP were recorded. The results were statistically analyzed with SPSS software، and P less than 0. 05 was considered significant. Totally، 134 patients were enrolled. VAP developed in 37 patients (27. 6 %)، in which 18 patients died (48. 6%). In 100 cases without VAP، 42 cases died (43. 2 %). A verage length of stay in VAP and Non- VAP was 34. 86 days and، 9. 48 days respectively. The incidence of VAP was 21 cases per 1،000 days of mechanical ventilation. Our study has shown that the incidence of VAP in the MICU is somewhat high، and it requires immediate attention due to prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality.