Ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most serious infectious complication in critically ill patients, associated with increased length of intensive care unit treatment and high mortality rates. Investigations focused on outcome variables have improved the database to estimate diagnostic and therapeutic management strategies. This knowledge has diminished the importance of the discussion on how to diagnose the pneumonia. This review summarizes recent data on epidemiology and mortality, risk factors and prevention, diagnosis, microbiology and antimicrobial treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Heininger
Alexandra
A
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. Alexandra.Heininger@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Krueger
Wolfgang A
WA
Doring
Gerd
G
Unertl
Klaus
K