title: Pneumonia due to Haemophilus influenzae among mechanically ventilated patients. Incidence, outcome, and risk factors.
abstract: Incidence and potential risk factors for pneumonia due to Haemophilus influenzae in adults treated with mechanical ventilation in a medical-surgical ICU were investigated. Diagnosis was established in 91 episodes and H influenzae was isolated in 20 of them. Mean onset of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to H influenzae was 10.8 days after intubation. Six patients with H influenzae VAP died in the ICU. Of 13 risk factors for developing VAP due to H influenzae, an absence of prior antibiotic treatment was the only variable which had statistical significance (p < 0.001). In these mechanically ventilated patients, Haemophilus influenzae was a common causative agent for VAP, frequently associated with Gram-positive cocci. Episodes of H influenzae VAP were associated with a lower mortality compared with other etiologies. The epidemiologic and clinical findings indicate that patients without a prior antimicrobial treatment have increased susceptibility to infections of the airway by H influenzae.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Department, Hospital de la S. Creu i S. Pau., Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ricart
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ausina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Net
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prats
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors