title: The comparison between proton pump inhibitors and sucralfate in incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in critically ill patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) are one of the most common nosocomial infections in intensive care unit (ICU). The ICU patients are at risk of stress ulcer and gastrointestinal bleeding for different reasons. In order to prevent this complication, anti acids are used for patients. This study compared pantoprazole with sucralfate in incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized clinical trial was carried out on ICU patients with mechanical ventilation in Alzahra university hospital in Isfahan from 2010 to 2011. One hundred forty eight ventilated patients were randomly allocated in two groups. The first group was treated with sucralfate and the second group was treated with pantoprazole for stress ulcer prophylaxis and followed up during hospitalization in ICU for nosocomial pneumonia. Data analyzed by SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred thirty seven patients were selected for study. During the study period, 34 cases (24.8%) acquired pneumonia, of which 10 were in the sucralfate group and 24 were in the pantoprazole group (14.1% vs. 36.4%). According to Chi-square test, rate of pneumonia was significantly lower in patients receiving sucralfate than the pantoprazole group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of the results, there is a significant relationship between the kind of drug used for stress ulcer and ventilator associated pneumonia. According to this article, rate of pneumonia was significantly lower in patients receiving sucralfate than the pantoprazole group.
authors.affiliation: Nosocomial Infection Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khorvash
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meidani
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dehdashti
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Behrooz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ataei
keywords: Pantoprazole; sucralfate; ventilator associated pneumonia