Objectives: To determine the incidence, risk factors and impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a mixed tertiary paediatric intensive care unit.
Design: Prospective observational study.
Methods: Patients in the intensive care unit who were mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours were assessed daily, according to criteria for a diagnosis of VAP. Potential risk factors for VAP, if present, were documented.
Results: Of 692 invasively ventilated patients, 269 (38.9%) were ventilated for > 48 hours and met no exclusion criteria. Eighteen (6.7%) patients had episodes of VAP, and the VAP incidence density was 7.02 per 1000 intubation days. The mean admission Paediatric Index of Mortality 2 risk of death was similar in patients with and without VAP (0.084 v 0.056; P =0.8). Patients with VAP (compared with patients without VAP) had a longer median duration of ICU stay, (19.35 v 7.35 days; P < 0.001), duration of ventilation (11.99 v 4.92 days; P=0.024) and duration of hospital stay (35.5 v 20 days; P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that reintubation, absence of tube feeding and absence of stress ulcer prophylaxis were risk factors for VAP. While backward selection removed reintubation as a positive predictor during multivariate analysis, tube feeds (hazard ratio (HR), 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09-0.85; P = 0.02) and stress ulcer prophylaxis (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11-0.76; P = 0.01) were independently associated with reduced VAP incidence.
Conclusions: VAP in children is associated with significant morbidity and increased length of hospital stay. Enteral feeding and stress ulcer prophylaxis while intubated are associated with lower VAP hazards.