RESEARCH Open Access Evaluation of semi-quantitative scoring of Gram

staining or semi-quantitative culture for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a retrospective comparison with quantitative culture Soshi Hashimoto1 and Nobuaki Shime1,2*† Background: Semi-quantitative Gram stain and culture methods are still commonly used for diagnosing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), due to its convenience. Only a few studies, however, have assessed the reliability of these methods when compared with quantitative cultures, a current standard for the diagnosis of VAP. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of semi-quantitative scores obtained using Gram stains and cultures of endotracheal aspirates when compared with quantitative cultures in the diagnosis of VAP. Methods: A retrospective chart review of mechanically ventilated patients with clinically suspected VAP in a single intensive care unit was performed. Semi-quantitative scores of Gram stains or culture results were compared with quantitative culture results of endotracheal aspirate for the diagnosis of VAP in 136 samples for 51 patients. Results: The semi-quantitative scores of Gram stains and the semi-quantitative culture results significantly correlated with the log value of the quantitative culture results (rs = 0.64 and 0.75). When using a log count ≥6 of quantitative cultures as the reference standard for the diagnosis of VAP, the sensitivity and specificity was 95 % and 61 % for Gram stain score o