RT Journal
A1 O’Grady NP, Murray PR, Ames N
T1 Preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia: Does the evidence support the practice?
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD June 20
VO 307
IS 23
SP 2534
OP 2539
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.6445
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.6445
AB Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is among the most common infections in patients requiring endotracheal tubes with mechanical ventilation. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is associated with increased hospital costs, a greater number of days in the intensive care unit, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, and higher mortality. Despite widely accepted recommendations for interventions designed to reduce rates of VAP, few studies have assessed the ability of these interventions to improve patient outcomes. As the understanding of VAP advances and new technologies to reduce VAP become available, studies should directly assess patient outcomes before the health care community implements specific prevention approaches in clinical practice.