Original scientific paper

Respiratory infections in mechanically ventilated patients

Sunčica Krauz ; School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
Dinko Paulić orcid.org/0000-0001-9890-2755 ; Institute of Public Health Osijek-Baranja Conty
Dubravka Ivić ; School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of respiratory infections in mechanically ventilated patients, risk factors responsible for the occurrence of these infections, proportion of ventilator-associated tracheitis (VAT) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the total number of infections and the duration and outcome of patient treatment.
Study design: Retrospective study.
Participants and methods: The study included 106 mechanically ventilated patients treated in the ICU Clinic for Anaesthesiology from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2016 in whom the treatment course was complicated by the onset of respiratory infection. The data were collected from medical records and statistically processed using MedCalc.
Results: The incidence of respiratory infections was 8.5 per 1000 patient days and 20.1 per 1000 respirator days. Most patients (50 %) had a central nervous system (CNS) disorder at admission, 96 % prior antimicrobial therapy and all had invasive machine support. Of the total number of respiratory infections, 74% of patients had VAT and 26 % VAP. The cause of infection in 72 % of cases was Acinetobacter baumannii. There was no significant difference between VAT and VAP compared to SAPS II and SOFAscores, time of onset of infection, duration of therapy and mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the ICU and the outcome of the treatment.
Conclusion: The occurrence of respiratory infections is common in patients with a primary disturbance of consciousness and long-term respiratory dependence. General state of impaired health contributes to the emergence of infectious complications in patients, and antimicrobial therapy
favours the selection and dissemination of resistant agents. The disparity in the occurrence of VAT and VAP is a consequence of difficulties in diagnosing these conditions, and if radiological findings are excluded, infections are not different in terms of the course and outcome of the treatment.

Keywords

mechanical ventilation; respiratory infections; ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP); ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT); risk factors

Hrčak ID:

216301

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/216301

Publication date:

28.1.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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