Bacterial Profile of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and their Drug Susceptibility among Intensive Care Unit Patients

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is of special importance among nosocomial infections. We aimed to study the bacterial profile of VAP and their drug susceptibility pattern among intensive care unit patients at teaching hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the records of patients in the intensive care unit with ventilator-associated pneumonia were reviewed. After the growth of the bacteria, the colony identification of the grown bacteria were done based on microbiological and biochemical standard tests. To investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolates, the disk diffusion method was used according to the CLSI guidelines.

Out of 107 patients, 14 (13%) had a history of hospitalization over the last three months. The most common underlying diseases were ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypertension, and diabetes. The most common causes of hospitalization included cardiac diseases, COVID-19, and sepsis. The most common microorganism isolated was Enterobacter (23.4%), and the least abundant microorganisms were Proteus (n=1) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (n=1). In general, colistin was the most sensitive among the examined gram-negative organisms.

Identifying the pattern of antibiotic resistance and the risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia are effective in delivering more efficient treatments and reducing the complications of this disease. Local epidemiological data should be collected at all centers as this information guides the initial empirical treatment with antibiotics, thereby preventing the development of more resistant strains. All these measures will reduce the morbidity and mortality of ventilator-associated pneumonia.