title: The authors reply.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School, University of Massachusetts, Clinical and Population Health Research Program, Worcester, MA, and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA Department of Nursing, UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA Department of Medicine, UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA, and Department of Microbiology, Medicine, and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, and UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Nursing Sciences, University of Massachusetts, and Departments of Information Services and Cell Biology, Worcester, MA Department of Nursing, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, and UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, and Graduate School of Nursing Sciences, Worcester, MA.
authors.forename: Craig M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lilly
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Landry
authors.forename: Rahul N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Bagley
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cody
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Irwin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000453:epidemiology*; D062486:Public Health Surveillance / Q000379:methods*