Prevention of nosocomial pneumonia in patients treated with invasive ventilation

: Nosocomial pneumonia is one of the primary causes of nosocomial infection in intensive care patients, leading to high mortality and prolonged hospitalization. Mechanical ventilation and its duration are major risk factors. When invasive ventilation is indispensable, preventive measures should aim at optimizing patient care by carefully applying basic rules of hygiene and recommended procedures for use of ventilation equipment. Different preventive measures have been proposed and should be considered in light of several criteria: the cost/benefit ratio, the level of proof (size of the study population, quality and pertinence of judgement criteria), feasibility, routine cost, and absence of secondary collateral adverse effects.