Effect From Multiple Episodes of Inadequate Empiric Antibiotic Therapy for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia on Morbidity and Mortality Among Critically III Trauma Patients

摘要

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a frequent complication of critical illness associated with significant morbidity and mortality.1 Because timely initiation of antimicrobial therapy is important and wide variability in bacterial etiology exists, broad-spectrum antibiotics are routinely administered empirically to patients with presumed VAP. The presence of unexpected or resistant bacteria, however, may decrease the accuracy of many empiric regimens, resulting in inadequate empiric antibiotic therapy (IEAT).