Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia at khorshid and amin hospitals in isfahan, iran

Abstract

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is defined as an infection of the pulmonary parenchyma in patients who have been exposed to invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours and is a type of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia. VAP is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and costs. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the incidence of VAP at Khorshid and Amin hospitals in Isfahan over a two-year period. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the intensive care units (ICUs) of Khorshid and Amin hospitals in Isfahan from 2016 to 2018. Data including intubation status and length of stay, mortality, type of bacteria, antibiogram findings, and the incidence of complications were collected from 212 adult patients with pneumonia admitted to the ICU. Findings: According to our results, the incidence of VAP among pneumonia patients was 27.7, and the mortality rate was 38.6. The mean length of hospitalization and intubation were 39.8 and 18.2 days, respectively. The most common microbes isolated from VAP patients were Acinetobacter and Klebsiella. The antibiogram of the isolated strains showed that the most sensitive antibiotics were vancomycin (89.1), gentamicin (84.2), and ceftriaxone (67.3), while the most resistant antibiotic was penicillin (93.9). Also, 90 of VAP patients experienced complications. Conclusion: The incidence of VAP and its mortality is high in the studied hospitals. Furthermore, the occurrence of complications due to VAP is very common. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics is likely to require reevaluation of the therapeutic strategies in the studied hospitals. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.