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Diagnostic Tools for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

  • Conference paper
Infection in the Critically Ill: an Ongoing Challenge

Part of the book series: Topics in Anaesthesia and Critical Care ((TIACC))

  • 75 Accesses

Abstract

Nosocomial pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP, nosocomial pneumonia after 48 h of mechanical ventilation) are currently the second leading cause of nosocomial infections and account for approximately 10% to 15% of all hospital-acquired infections [1–3]. The incidence of nosocomial pneumonia is increased for all patients in intensive care units (ICU), where respiratory infections have been reported to be the most frequent type of nosocomial infections [4]. During the last 10 years, several diagnostic methods have been developed to microbiologically confirm the clinical diagnosis, especially in mechanically ventilated patients [5]. These methods require the use of bacterial quantitative cultures and for each method a specific bacterial threshold is accepted for the confirmation of a pulmonary infection [6]. However, despite the enormous amount of literature regarding this topic, there is still an open debate about the requirement of invasive fiberoptic bronchoscopic techniques [7–10].

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Authors
  1. T. Bauer
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  2. R. Ferrer
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  3. A. Torres
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Microbiology/Infection Control, Royal Liverpool Children’s NHS, Liverpool, UK

    H. K. F. van Saene

  2. Department of Surgery/Division of Organ Transplantation, Catholic University, University Hospital Agostino Gemelli and CNR Centro Studi Fisiopatologia Shock, Rome, Italy

    G. Sganga

  3. Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Gorizia Hospital, Gorizia, Italy

    L. Silvestri

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Italia, Milano

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Bauer, T., Ferrer, R., Torres, A. (2001). Diagnostic Tools for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia. In: van Saene, H.K.F., Sganga, G., Silvestri, L. (eds) Infection in the Critically Ill: an Ongoing Challenge. Topics in Anaesthesia and Critical Care. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2242-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2242-3_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0138-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2242-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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