Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Murine Oropharyngeal Aspiration Model of Ventilator-associated and Hospital-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
04:32

Murine Oropharyngeal Aspiration Model of Ventilator-associated and Hospital-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia

Published on: June 28, 2018

Impact of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia on Clinical Outcomes in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective

Ali Hassan1, Md Tasneemul Mursalin2, Sameen Afzal3

  • 1School of General Medicine, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University (KazNMU), Almaty, KAZ.

Cureus
|July 10, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) significantly increases mechanical ventilation duration, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay, and mortality in resource-limited settings. Daily chlorhexidine oral care showed protective effects against VAP development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Infectious disease epidemiology
  • Hospital-acquired infections

Background:

  • Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant nosocomial infection in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
  • Its impact on clinical outcomes in resource-constrained settings remains under-researched.
  • Understanding VAP's effects is crucial for enhancing patient care in these environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of VAP on clinical outcomes in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients.
  • To identify baseline factors associated with VAP development.
  • To inform VAP prevention strategies in resource-limited PICUs.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study including 150 pediatric patients (1 month to 18 years) requiring mechanical ventilation for ≥48 hours.
  • Patients were classified into VAP and non-VAP groups based on CDC/NHSN 2023 criteria.
  • Statistical analysis included chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests; Firth penalized logistic regression was used due to data separation.

Main Results:

  • VAP developed in 33.3% (50/150) of patients.
  • VAP patients experienced significantly longer mechanical ventilation (12.0 vs. 5.0 days) and PICU stay (14.0 vs. 7.0 days).
  • Prior antibiotic use was universal in VAP patients (100% vs. 17%), and mortality was substantially higher (32.0% vs. 0.0%). Daily chlorhexidine oral care demonstrated a protective effect (RR=0.46).

Conclusions:

  • VAP is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, extended PICU length of stay, and increased mortality.
  • Findings highlight the need for targeted VAP prevention strategies and improved ventilatory practices in resource-limited PICUs.
  • Daily chlorhexidine oral care emerges as a potentially effective preventive measure.

Keywords:
paediatric intensive care unit (picu stay)pediatric intensive care unitsprolonged mechanical ventilationventilator-associated pneumoniaventilator-associated pneumonia (vap)

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