title: Ventilator-associated pneumonia or not? Contemporary diagnosis.
abstract: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is pneumonia in patients who have been on mechanical ventilation for > or =48 hours. VAP is most accurately diagnosed by quantitative culture and microscopy examination of lower respiratory tract secretions, which are best obtained by bronchoscopically directed techniques such as the protected specimen brush and bronchoalveolar lavage. These techniques have acceptable repeatability, and interpretation of results is unaffected by antibiotics administered concurrently for infection at extrapulmonary sites as long as antimicrobial therapy has not been changed for <72 hours before bronchoscopy.
authors: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA. cmayhall@utmb.edu
authors: C G
authors: CG
authors: Mayhall
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000379:methods; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000378:metabolism; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents