Ventilator-associated pneumonia and ventilator-associated events surveillance in a pediatric intensive care unit

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of ventilator-associated events (VAE) surveillance in a PICU. Methods: Prospective ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) surveillance and retrospective VAE surveillance was conducted over 24 months in a PICU in Japan. For surveillance, the definition of pediatric VAP established by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was applied, while pediatric VAE was provisionally defined according to its new adult VAE criteria by CDC. Result: Incidences of VAP and VAE were 7.1 and 9.4 per 1,000 device days, respectively. The duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay was significantly longer among VAP patients as compared with non-VAP patients, and it was longer among VAE patients as compared with non-VAE patients. Only 25% of the patients with VAP fulfilled VAE criteria. Conclusion: VAE can potentially replace VAP for surveillance in pediatric critical care surveillance.