Loading...
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common intensive care unit–acquired infection and has a mortality rate of 20% to 50%. Although appropriate antibiotic therapy decreases the risk for death, antimicrobial-susceptibility reports usually are not available until ≥48 hours after samples are obtained. The E-test (AB Biodisk) uses antimicrobial-impregnated strips that can be applied directly to clinical samples and provides results more quickly. Now, in a prospective, randomized study involving 250 patients with VAP, researchers in Madrid have evaluated the clinical effect of using an E-test. For all patients, lower respiratory tract samples were cultured and tested by standard means; 167 of the patients received an additional rapi…