title: Death by acid rain: VAP or EXIT?
abstract: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a new (nosocomial) lower respiratory tract infection diagnosed in mechanically ventilated patients 48 or more hours after intubation. There is no gold standard for establishing the diagnosis and its pathogenesis is iatrogenic and multifactorial. Gastro-oesophageal reflux is common in mechanically ventilated children, but its role in VAP remains speculative. VAP is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, prolonged duration of ventilation and hospital stay, and escalated costs of hospitalisation. VAP 'bundles' are championed as the antidote.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Intensive Care, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital - Alder Hey, Liverpool, L12 2AP, UK. kent.thorburn@alderhey.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Kentigern
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thorburn
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darbyshire
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007902:Length of Stay; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D013270:Stomach / Q000503:physiopathology