title: Role of Appropriate Therapy in Combating Mortality among the Ventilated Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection prevalent among the intensive care unit (ICU) patients despite proper infection control practices. The diagnosis of VAP still remains controversial and hence the mortality rate is higher among this group of patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to identify the antibiotic pattern and the appropriateness of treatment followed in the ICU in relation with the clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) as a tool to diagnose VAP. This was compared with patients who had an inappropriate treatment in comparison to the CPIS and the clinical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 18 VAP patients, 12 (66.7%) received appropriate therapy based on the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the causative organism, while 1 (5.5%) received partially inappropriate therapy and 5 (27.8%) received totally inappropriate therapy. Nine of the 18 (50%) VAP patients died, while only 5 of the 58 (8.6%) patients without VAP died. 72.2% patients with VAP received appropriate treatment based on the sensitivity of the isolates. The mortality rate in VAP patients receiving inappropriate therapy was 80%, while in those receiving appropriate therapy the mortality rate was 38.5%. The mortality rate among VAP patients with blood culture positivity was 100%, while it was 43.75% among those with negative blood culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mortality rate among the patients receiving inappropriate therapy is high compared to other group of patients. Hence, a proper evaluation and administration of appropriate antibiotics can curb mortality among the ventilated patients.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: M V Pravin
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Joshy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Easow
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Noyal M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Professor Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravishankar
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Shailesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Sivaraman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umadevi
keywords: APACHE (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation) II scores; Clinical pulmonary infection score; Endotracheal aspirate; Ventilator associated pneumonia