Epidemiology of Nosocomial Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

During the past 30 years, our ability to care for critically ill patients has improved greatly, in part due to the expanded use of invasive techniques such as tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, the widespread application of these techniques in increasingly ill patients has resulted in new nosocomial infection hazards, such as ventilatorassociated pneumonia.1 Epidemiologic studies to define the patterns of occurrence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia, as well as other nosocomial infections in critically ill patients, are important because they provide the basis for focused preventive efforts.