Ventilator Pneumonia Essay

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Abstract Research studies on the prevalence of ventilator-associated-pneumonia indicate that many hospitalized patients in the intensive care unit under mechanical ventilation are likely of a secondary diagnosis of the disease. Research has indicated early diagnosis of VAP for timely intervention as a major problem. The use of quantitative cultures of endotracheal aspirates (QEA) as a diagnosis has proven to be resilient on simplicity and is also cost-effective while at the same time the method has no side effects. Diagnosis of VAP should be based on a combination of clinical, radiological, and microbiological criteria. Adoption and implementation of the modified CPIS is the better option as it is not only cost-effective, but can also be highly specific and sensitive. These measures will provide quick and timely results as well as lower the treatment costs. Introduction Early and accurate diagnosis of patients with ventilator-associated-pneumonia (VAP) is important in the management of patients suffering from this disease (Rea-Neto et al., 2008). Amanullah et al. (2011), describes Ventilator-associated-pneumonia as the pneumonia that develops within 48 hours or longer after mechanical ventilation by either endotracheal tube or by tracheostomy. The early diagnosis of VAP for timely intervention is a major problem and the implementation of this project is aimed at improving the situation. According to Rea-Neto et al. (2008), VAP is a common disease in the intensive care unit (ICU) of many hospitals affecting 8% to 20% of ICU patients and up to 27% of mechanically ventilated patients. According to a study conducted by Fàbregas et al. (1999), the accurate diagnosis of VAP remains controversial in spite of more than a decade of clinical studies. In the study, they argued that the use of quantitative cultures of endotracheal aspirates (QEA) has similar diagnostic
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