Clinical profile and outcome in patients with ventilator associated pneumonia in ICU at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) a type of hospital acquired pneumonia associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Knowledge about the clinical profile is necessary to have aneffective preventive measure to reduce mortality in patients admitted to ICU. Aim and objectives of the presented study was to study the clinical profile and outcome of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in ICU over one year period. A hospital based study was carried out from July 2012 to June 2013 in the ICU. Patients who were on mechanical ventilation (MV) for more than 48 hours were monitored at frequent intervals for development of VAP using clinical and microbiological criteria until discharge or death.The data was analyzed for determining VAP infection rate. A total of 230 patients were on ventilator in ICU. Among them 48 developed Ventilator Associated pneumonia with the incidence of 20.8%. Undifferentiated fever was the commonest diagnosis followed by Dengue and malaria.Acinetobacter & Pseudomonasaeruginosa were commonest organisms in VAP. VAP occurred in a sizeable number of patients on MV. Chronic respiratory failure, supine head position were the risk factors associated with VAP. Simple awareness about these risk factors can be used for effective preventive measures.