Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

Words: 406
Pages: 2

Literature Search on Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a type of lung infection that occurs in people who are on ventilators in hospitals. As such, VAP typically affects critically ill patients that are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). VAP is a major source of increased illness, and death. Persons with VAP have increased lengths of ICU hospitalization and have up to a 20-30% death rate. Reasonable clinical criteria for the suspicion of VAP include a new and persistent (>48-h) or progressive radiographic infiltrate plus two of the following: temperature of >38°C or 10,000 cells/ml or <5,000 cells/ml, purulent tracheal secretions, and gas exchange degradation (www.ncbi.gov) Between