Background:No large prospective data, to our knowledge, are available on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Research question:To evaluate the incidence, timing, and risk factors of VAP after TBI and its effect on patient outcome.
Study design and methods: This analysis is of the Collaborative European NeuroTraumaEffectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury data set, from a large, multicenter, prospective, observational study including patients with TBI admitted to European ICUs, receiving mechanical ventilation for ≥ 48 hours and with an ICU length of stay (LOS) ≥ 72 hours. Characteristics of patients with VAP vs characteristics of patients without VAP were compared, and outcome was assessed at 6 months after injury by using the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended.
Results:The study included 962 patients: 196 (20.4%) developed a VAP at a median interval of 5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3-7 days) after intubation. Patients who developed VAP were younger