Assessment of frequency and transience rate for ventilator-associated pneumonia (vap) in geriatric patients in tertiary care settings of karachi, pakistan

To assess the risk factors, frequency and transience rate for ventilator-associated pneumonia in geriatric patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Various campuses of Ziauddin University Hospital and Civil Hospital, Karachi, from April 2016 to May 2017. Methodology: Critically ill geriatric patients (aged 60 years and above) in intensive care units, were selected who had received mechanical ventilation. Various risk factors, microbial fate, and related clinical outcomes were measured in the selected cohort of 350 patients. Results: It was found that 72% (n=252) of study population was elderly who received ventilation for more than 48 hours with a higher mortality rate of 59.5%. Frequency of VAP was found to be 18% (n=63). A high rate of VAP was observed in geriatric cohort, i.e. n=47 association of age in VAP (p=0.611) in non-significant while mortality values and admission status were significantly associated with VAP (p<0.001). Conclusion: The factual challenge nowadays is to present the real estimate of the clinical consequences of VAP in geriatric cohort. Such studies will help in formulating an optimal institutional policy and rational approach to decrease rates of mortality. (author)