An Observational Veneto Research on Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (OVeRVAP): attributable mortality and cumulative incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: The relationship between ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and mortality varies from study to study, and its entity is uncertain due a considerable variation in the attributable mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between VAP frequency and mortality in a cohort of mechanically ventilated patients.

Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in 21 Intensive Care Units (ICUs).