ABSTRACT
AbstractIntroduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a lung infection that occurs 48 hours or more after endotracheal intubation in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.Objective: To use the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) in order to identify the presence of VAP in patients with endotracheal intubation.Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study, which included 53 patients with mechanical ventilation, out of which only 11 met the selection criteria. Patients were assessed with the CPIS, as well as with their results of blood count, chest X-ray, and culture of endotracheal aspirates.Results: 81.9% were male, with a mean age of 65.09 ± 13.4 years, weight 75.7 ± 13.5 kg, height 1.61 ± 0.21 cm. The main cause of mechanical ventilation was neurological in 36.4%, and pulmonary in 27.3%. Of all the microorganisms isolated, the one with the highest estimated rate was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed drug resistance to all antibiotics.Conclusion: The use of the scale for evaluating patients with mechanical ventilation helps to identify the presence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.