This retrospective cohort study describes the patterns of antibiotic use for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
in the Calgary Zone of AlbertaHealth Services. Timing, appropriateness, and duration of antibiotics were evaluated in two hundred
consecutive cases of VAP derived from 4 adult intensive care units (ICU). Antibiotic therapy was initiated in less than 24 hours
from VAP diagnosis in 83% of cases. Although most patients (89%) received empiric therapy that demonstrated in vitro sensitivity
to the identified pathogens, only 24% of cases were congruent with the 2008 Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious
Disease (AMMI) guidelines. Both ICU (