Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most frequent occurring infection among mechanically ventilated patients. The clinical presentation of VAP ranges from relatively benign to a severe illness with septic shock. The influence of VAP on patient outcome has not been elucidated and its effects on the inflammatory response of the host are unknown. In a case-control study, the systemic infl...

BACKGROUND To analyse whether the availability of written standards for management of mechanically ventilated patients and/or the existence of a surveillance system for cases of ventilation-associated pneumonia (VAP) are positively associated with compliance with 6 well-established VAP prevention measures. METHODS Ecological study based on responses to an online-questionnaire completed by 173...

BACKGROUND Serum vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) predicts cancer-related mortality in diabetic subjects. However, whether serum VAP-1 predicts cancer incidence or cancer progression remains unclear. We conducted a cohort study to investigate whether serum VAP-1 and related clinical variables predict incident cancers in type II diabetic subjects. METHODS From 1996 to 2003, we enrolled 568 ...

OBJECTIVES This study aims to analyze the mortality and the length of ICU stay (LOS) of A. baumannii VAP compared to respiratory colonization in patients with mechanical ventilation (MV). METHODS A prospective cohort study was performed in an ICU of adult patients (February 2010-June 2011). One hundred patients on MV with A. baumannii in lower respiratory airways were recruited, and classifie...

BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) causes significant morbidity and mortality in critically ill surgical patients. Recent studies suggest that the success of preventive measures is dependent on compliance with ventilator bundle parameters. HYPOTHESIS Implementation of an electronic dashboard will improve compliance with the bundle parameters and reduce rates of VAP in our surgic...

To assess the usefulness of the Gram stain in the early diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), we performed 146 protected specimen brushings (PSB) and bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) in 118 patients suspected of having nosocomial pneumonia. Gram stain and counts of infected cells were performed in all samples from BAL fluid. A final diagnosis of pneumonia was established in 51 patien...

BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection commonly seen in patients in intensive care units (ICU). This study aimed to analyze factors affecting prognosis of patients diagnosed with VAP. MATERIAL AND METHODS Critically ill patients with VAP were retrospectively evaluated between June 2002 and June 2011 in the ICU. VAP diagnosis was made according to 2005 ATS/IDS...

The regulated interactions of leukocytes with vascular endothelial cells are crucial in controlling leukocyte traffic between blood and tissues. Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is a novel, human endothelial cell molecule that mediates tissue-selective lymphocyte binding. Two species (90 and 170 kD) of VAP-1 exist in lymphoid tissues. Glycosidase digestions revealed that the mature 170-kD fo...

OBJECTIVE To reduce ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) incidence rate, lessen the cost of care, and correlate VAP bundles compliance with VAP incidence rate. METHODS This study was a prospective longitudinal study conducted on adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients at Hera General Hospital, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January to December 2010. The following Institute for Healthc...

BACKGROUND Aspiration of colonized oropharyngeal secretions is a major factor in the pathogenesis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). A tapered-cuff endotracheal tube (ETT) has been demonstrated to reduce aspiration around the cuff. Whether these properties are efficacious in reducing VAP is not known. METHODS This 2-period, investigator-initiated observational study was designed to ass...