The results of a 6-year epidemiologic surveillance for ventilator-associated pneumonia at a tertiary care intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention is an important patient safety initiative. We describe the impact of a multidisciplinary surveillance program on VAP rates in a tertiary medical-surgical-trauma intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: An epidemiologic surveillance program was established in 2003 as a joint project between ICU and Infection Prevention and Control Department to regularly report VAP rates to guide evidence-based VAP preventive strategies. VAP cases were diagnosed according to predefined criteria and prospectively recorded by a research physician. VAP microbiology, risk factors, and outcomes were noted.

Results: Of 2,812 ventilated patients, 433 (15.4%) developed VAP corresponding to 15.9 episodes per 1,000 ventilator-days. The rate decreased from 19.1 in 2003 to 6.3 per 1,000 ventilator-days in 2009. On multivariate analysis, VAP was associated with accidental extubation (hazard ratio [HR], 4.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.93-8.73), trauma versus medical diagnosis (HR, 2.59; 95% CI: 2.07-3.23), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR, 1.55; 95% CI: 1.08-2.22), and neuromuscular blockade (HR, 1.39; 95% CI: 1.07-1.81). The most common isolated pathogens were Gram-negative organisms. VAP patients had longer mechanical ventilation duration, ICU and hospital length of stay, but similar ICU and hospital mortality compared with non-VAP patients.

Conclusion: The study showed a reduction in VAP rates with active surveillance, reporting and evidence-based preventive strategies and identified several modifiable risk factors, which should be the focus of additional interventions.