Therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia: what works, what doesn't.

摘要

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor outcome. An initial aggressive strategy using broad-spectrum antibiotics based on the local distribution of pathogens, patient risk factors, and antimicrobial characteristics; followed by focused therapy based on microbiologic studies, will help minimize the chance of inappropriate therapy and the emergence of resistance.