Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care unit (ICU). Method: A retrospective cohort study, was carried in a university hospital. Univariate analyzes were performed using the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, and nonparametric Mann-Whitney test for numerical variables. Results: In a period of 24 months, 190 patients were admitted in the ICU, and 90.5% of them used mechanical ventilation. The incidence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia (VAP) was 23.2%, being notified in 100% of the patients who used the mechanical ventilation; the incidence density of VAP was 32.4/1000 ventilator days and the overall mortality associated with VAP was 72.7%. There was a positive association between the occurrence of pneumonia and the period of hospitalization in the intensive care unit > 15 days (RR: 7.29), time of mechanical ventilation > 10 days (RR: 11.33), and reintubation (RR: 6.31). Conclusion: pneumonia is considered a high morbidity condition in the intensive care unit. Thus, it is necessary to implement effective measures for quality and safety on the care of critically ill patients