Diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in children in resource-limited setting: A comparative study of bronchoscopic and nonbronchoscopic methods*

OBJECTIVES: To compare the available methods for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intubated pediatric patients and to suggest less costly diagnostic method for developing countries. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care, multidisciplinary teaching hospital located in northern India. PATIENTS: All consecutive patients on mechanical ventilation for >48 hrs were evaluated clinically for ventilator-associated pneumonia. INTERVENTIONS: Four diagnostic procedures (tracheal aspiration, blind bronchial sampling, blind bronchoalveolar lavage, and bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage) were performed in the same sequence within 12 hrs of clinical suspicion of ventilator-associated pneumonia. The bacterial density > or =104 colony-forming units/mL in a bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage sample was taken as reference standard. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty patients with 40 episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia were included in the study. Tracheal aspirate at the cutoff of > or =105 colony-forming units/mL was found to have sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 84%, 77%, 87. 5%, 73%, and 80%, respectively. For blind bronchial sampling at > or =104 colony-forming units/mL cutoff, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 88%, 82%, 88%, 83%, and 87%, respectively; the most reliable results were obtained with blind bronchoalveolar lavage at the cutoff of > or =103 cfu/mL (sensitivity 96%, specificity 80%, positive predictive value 88%, negative predictive value 92%, and accuracy 90%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of tracheal aspiration, blind bronchial sampling, and blind bronchoalveolar lavage was 0. 87 +/- 0. 06, 0. 89 +/- 0. 06, and 0. 89 +/- 0. 05, respectively. The cost of balloon-tip pressure catheter used for blind bronchoalveolar lavage was INR 1600. 00 (US40) whereas that for blind bronchial sampling was only INR 35. 00 (<1 US). CONCLUSIONS: Blind bronchoalveolar lavage was the most reliable method followed closely by blind bronchial sampling for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Considering the difference of the cost in the two procedures, blind bronchial sampling may be the preferred method in the pediatric intensive care unit of a developing country.