THE MICROBIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF VENTILATOR ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA.

BACKGROUND - Nosocomial infections (NI) are responsible for increased morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Hospital acquired pneumonia is the second most common nosocomial infection. AIM : To isolate and identify the organisms causing Ventilator associated pneumonia and to know their resistance pattern. METHOD : We conducted the study in the Intensive Care Unit of our Hospital over a period of one year. All patients on mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours were included in this study. The pathogens were identified based on the standard bacteriological procedures including Gram's stain, colony morphology on Blood agar, MacConkey agar and SDA and biochemical reactions. FINDINGS - 50 out of 128 samples were culture positive, the incidence being 39.06%. Out of 50 cases, 33(45.2%) were males & 17(30.9%) were females. 50% of the cases ventilated for respiratory cause developed VAP while only 20.8% of the cases ventilated for non-respiratory cause developed VAP. Out of 50 cases, 20(40%) were early onset VAP cases, while 30(60%) were late onset VAP cases. CONCLUSION : P. aeruginosa was the predominant organism isolated followed by E.coli