The Incidence and Risk Factors of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in ICU

Considering the importance of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and the high mortality rate among patients diagnosed with VAP, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the incidence of VAP and its related risk factors in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 197 patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in the ICU diagnosed with VAP was enrolled in this study. Among these patients, 59 (53.6%) cases were male and 51 (46.4%) were female with the mean age of 69.86 ± 14.62 years. The most common cause of ICU admission was CVA, followed by colorectal cancer, lung cancer, sepsis, and cirrhosis. Our results showed that 110 individuals (55.8%) diagnosed with VAP. The most common bacteria were Klebsiella, which was found in 20.3% of cases. (47.7%) of patients had diabetes, 21.8% had chronic kidney disease and 51.8% had cardiovascular disease. 32.7% of patients were bedridden before intubation. The mortality rate due to VAP was estimated about 20%. In conclusion, the incidence of VAP in ICU is relatively high (55.8%) with a mortality rate of 20%. Among the risk factors, the presence of diabetes, bedridden, reduction in consciousness and the time duration of mechanical ventilation is relative with this type of infection.