Distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogens isolated from ventilator-associated pneumonia patients in pediatric intensive care unit.

Background: With mechanical ventilation widely used in intensive care unit, the ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) has become a common and serious complication in critically ill patients. Compared with adults, the incidence of VAP and the mortality are higher in children in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) because of immune deficiency, severe basic diseases, and increased use of artificial airway or mechanical ventilation. Hence it is of significance to study the epidemiology and changes of antibacterial susceptibility in order to reduce the incidence and mortality of VAP in children.

Methods: From January 2008 to June 2010, 2758 children were treated in PICU of Wuhan Children's Hospital. Among them, 171 received mechanical ventilation over 48 hours in PICU, and 46 developed VAP. The distribution and drug-resistance pattern of the pathogenic bacteria isolated from lower respiratory tract aspirations were analyzed.

Results: A total of 119 pathogenic microbial strains were isolated. Gram-negative bacilli (G(-)) were the most (65.55%), followed by fungi (21.01%) and gram-positive cocci (G(+), 13.45%). Among them, the most common pathogens were Acinetobacter baummannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, candida albicans and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Antibiotic susceptibility tests indicated that the multiple drug-resistances of G(-) and G(+) to antibiotics were serious. Most of G(-) was sensitive to ciprofloxacin, amikacin, imipenem, meropenem, cefoperazone-sulbactam and piperacillin-tazobactam. The susceptibility of G(+) to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid were 100%. Fungi were almost sensitive to all the antifungal agents. The primary pathogens of VAP were G(-), and their multiple drug-resistances were serious.

Conclusion: In clinical practice we should choose the most sensitive drug for VAP according to pathogenic test.