Evidence on measures for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in ventilated patients. Evidence-based guidelines have been issued since 2001 by the European Task Force on ventilator-associated pneumonia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Canadian Critical Care Society, and also by the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America, which have produced a joint set of recommendations. The present review article is based on a comparison of these guidelines, together with an update of further publications in the literature. The 100,000 Lives campaign, endorsed by leading US agencies and societies, states that all ventilated patients should receive a ventilator bundle to reduce the incidence of VAP. The present review article is useful for identifying evidence-based processes that can be modified to improve patients' safety.