Early Detection of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia From Exhaled Breath in Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Objective: Evaluate associations between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in heat and moisture exchange (HME) filters and the presence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Background: Clinical diagnostic criteria for VAP have poor interobserver reliability, and cultures are slow to result. Exhaled breath contains VOCs related to gram-negative bacterial proliferation, the most identified organisms in VAP.