Oral Decontamination and VAP

Oral decontamination with antiseptics decreased the risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia but did not reduce mortality rates or duration of ICU stay.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among mechanically ventilated patients and increases length of stay in the ICU. The organisms causing VAP reside predominantly in the oropharynx and the upper intestinal tract, so decreasing the microbial burden in these areas might reduce VAP incidence. Selective decontamination of the digestive tract, although effective in this regard, has aroused concern about the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (see Journal Watch Infectious Diseases Mar 7 2007). Might oral decontamination using topical antibiotics or antiseptics be helpful? To find out, researchers reviewed the literature on oral decontamination and performed a meta-analysis on 11 randomized con…

Reviewing Author

Stephen G. Baum, MD

Oral Decontamination and VAP

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Reviewing Author