audit on ventilator associated pneumonia in the intensive care unit at teaching hospital Karapitiya, Galle, Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT

Critical care is one of the most expensive services provided by a hospital. The aim of this audit was to ascertain the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in the intensive care unit. A descriptive study. Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, Galle [Sri Lanka]. 1[st] June 2010 to 30[th] August 2010. All patients, who were admitted to ICU and who stayed there for more than 48hrs during a period of three months were studied. Infections were identified on clinical parameters such as fever and on laboratory investigations such as full count, CRP and cultures. Out of 82 patients, 48[58.5%] were subsequently discharged to the ward and 30[36.6%] succumbed to their illness. 68[82.9%] were ventilated and 26 of them had an underlying pathology related to an infection. A total of 20[29.4%] patients of this ventilated group subsequently developed a lower respiratory tract infection. The main nosocomial infection was ventilator associated pneumonia and had an incidence of 21.9%. The most prevalent organisms were mixed gram negative bacilli and Acinetobacter spp. Nosocomial infections are a cause of increased mortality and morbidity in the intensive care unit. Awareness of the risk factors together with simple preventive measures and surveillance will help to reduce its occurrence