title: [Ventilator-associated pneumonia and multiresistant bacteria].
abstract: Ventilator-associated pneumonia remains the most serious nosocomial infection in critically ill patients. Providing appropriate antibiotic therapy promptly is crucial for successful treatment; whereas the diagnostic approach seems to play a minor role. The empirical antibiotic therapy should be guided by the risk for infections due to multiresistant bacteria. For patients at risk a combination therapy, considering local resistance data and formerly applied antibiotic substances, is recommended. Reevaluation and deescalation of antibiotic therapy based on microbiological culture results and discontinuation of antimicrobial treatment after one week is essential for the control of broadspectrum antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin der Universität Tübingen, Germany. alexandra.heininger@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heininger
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unertl
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents