Prehospital airway technique does not influence incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in trauma patients.

Background: The relationship between the prehospital airway device used and later development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is unknown. We sought to determine if the prehospital airway device choice is associated with an increased risk of VAP in risk-adjusted critically injured patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all trauma patients requiring definitive airway placement before intensive care unit admission at a Level I trauma center from 2008 to 2012.