title: Asking the right questions: the relationship between incident ventilator-associated pneumonia and mortality.
abstract: Whether ventilator-associated pneumonia is a manifestation of severity of illness or an independent cause of mortality in ventilator-dependent patients is not known. In this complex area, which cannot be readily subjected to randomized controlled trials, studies should focus on the underlying questions of relevance, how to improve care of ventilated patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lanspa
authors.forename: Samuel M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000401:mortality*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000401:mortality*