Mechanical Ventilation and Hospital-Acquired Infection
Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common hospital-associated infection in mechanically ventilated patients. Incidence currently ranges from 2 to 22 episodes per 1000 ventilator days. Ventilator-associated pneumonia mean incidence is 2.8 in the United States. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is defined as a type of hospital-acquired pneumonia that occurs in patients that are on MV support at the time of the diagnosis of pneumonia or within 48 hours of having been placed on MV.