ABSTRACT
Ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP] is the most common hospital-acquired infection among mechanically ventilated patients. Our objectives were to determine the incidence of VAP, isolate multidrug-resistant bacteria, identify the most prevalent resistant strains and identify their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. The VAP rate was calculated. The isolated microbes were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibilities. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined of imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem for Klebsiella isolates. Klebsiella isolates resistant to carbapenems were tested for the presence of the blaKPC gene. The VAP incidence density rate was 48.8 incidences/1 000 ventilator days. The most common Gram-positive organism was Staphylococcus aureus, of which 86.6% of isolates were resistant to cefoxitin, but 100% were sensitive to teicoplanin, linezolid and tigecycline. The most common Gram-negative bacillus was Klebsiella, of which 94.6% of isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, 70.2% to imipenem, and 64.9% to ertapenem, but 100% were sensitive to colistin and 94.6% were sensitive to tigecycline. Of the carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella strains, 23.1% had the blaKPC gene. The high rates of VAP and the high rates of resistance among isolated organisms point to improper implementation of infection control programmes