Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in Intensive Care Units of Faculty of Medicine in Erciyes University: Evaluation of 109 Cases

Patients with ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) were evaluated, retrospectively, in Intensive Care Units of Faculty of Medicine in Erciyes University between January 2003-August 2004. During the study period, 132 VAP episodes were occurred in 109 patients. Fifty (37.9%) episodes were polymicrobial, and 191 microorganisms were isolated. 172 (90%) of these microorganisms were gram-negative, 19 (10%) of them were gram-positive. The most common isolated microorganisms were Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The isolated microorganisms were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Seventy-nine (72.5%) of 109 patients died, 30 (27.5%) of them were discharged with cure. The mortality rate of the patients with one episode of VAP (n= 88) was 63.8% (30/47) in the patients whom appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy was started, and 78% (32/41) in the patients whom inappropriate therapy was given (p> 0.05)