“VAP is not going away; it still affects approximately one in 10 ventilated patients,” said Mark Metersky, MD, the study’s lead author. “Our findings are in stark contrast to the CDC’s report of marked decline in VAP rates that had some believing that it may no longer be an important problem.”
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Dr. Metersky and other researchers reviewed data from the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System on 1,856 critically ill Medicare patients who were on a mechanical ventilator for two or more days. Data were from 2005 through 2013.
While their review showed steady VAP rates during that timeframe, it contradicts CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network report that VAP rates fell significantly between 2006 and 2012.
“VAP is still a significant issue and needs more examination into how we survey its occurrence and report it, along with more research into how best to prevent this type of pneumonia in vulnerable patient populations,” Dr. Metersky said.
More articles on ventilator-associated pneumonia:
New guidance on discontinuing mechanical ventilation in ICU
The growing body of evidence supporting CHG bathing
Risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia could be lessened by better collaboration in the ICU
