The ventilator-associated pneumonia PIRO score: a tool for predicting ICU mortality and health-care resources use in ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: No score is available to assess severity and stratify mortality risk in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Our objective was to develop a severity assessment tool for VAP patients.

Methods: A prospective, observational, cohort study was performed including 441 patients with VAP in three multidisciplinary ICUs.

Optimal management therapy for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ventilator-associated pneumonia: an observational, multicenter study comparing monotherapy with combination antibiotic therapy.

Objective: To evaluate whether one antibiotic achieves equal outcomes compared with combination antibiotic therapy in patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Design: A retrospective, multicenter, observational, cohort study.

Setting: Five intensive care units in Spanish university hospitals.

Clinical use and tolerability of voriconazole in the treatment of fungal infections in critically ill patients.

The clinical use and tolerability of voriconazole in daily practice for the treatment of fungal infection in critically ill patients was assessed in an open-label, non-comparative, observational study. All patients admitted to medical-surgical Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of 21 hospitals in Spain between February 2003 and January 2004, who were treated with voriconazole because of known or suspected fungal infection, were included. A total of 130 patients received voriconazole (6.

Pneumonia caused by oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus treated with glycopeptides.

Objective: To determine whether ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VAP-ORSA) treated with glycopeptides is associated with an increased mortality rate.

Design: Retrospective matched cohort study.

Setting: Four intensive care units in teaching hospitals.

Clinical impact of pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in intubated patients: a matched cohort study.

Objective: To determine whether ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii (VAPAB) is associated with increased mortality rate.

Design: A retrospective matched case-control study in which all intensive care unit adult patients with microbiologically documented VAPAB were defined as cases.

Setting: Four intensive care units from teaching hospitals.

Midazolam and 2% propofol in long-term sedation of traumatized critically ill patients: efficacy and safety comparison.

Objective: We proposed to compare the efficacy and safety of midazolam and propofol in its new preparation (2% propofol) when used for prolonged, deep sedation in traumatized, critically ill patients. We also retrospectively compared 2% propofol with its original preparation, 1% propofol, used in a previous study in a similar and contemporary set of patients.

Design: A prospective, randomized, unblinded trial (midazolam and 2% propofol) and a retrospective, contemporary trial (2% propofol and 1% propofol).

Variations in etiology of ventilator-associated pneumonia across four treatment sites: implications for antimicrobial prescribing practices.

This retrospective multicenter study compared microorganisms documented by quantitative cultures from bronchoscopic samples in episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) from three different institutions in Barcelona (B), Montevideo (M), and Seville (S). The observations were compared with the findings reported by Trouillet and coworkers (AJRCCM 1998;157:531-539) in Paris (P). The objective was to evaluate whether a classification of etiologies of VAP in four groups, based on the number of ventilation days and previous antimicrobial use, might contribute to establishing generalized guidelines for empirical therapy.