Epidemiology of Risk Factors for Hospital-acquired Pneumonia (HAP) in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Patients

The primary outcome was to evaluate the relationship between risk factors and the development of early/late onset HAP. Another outcome was assessed to evaluate the relation of risk factors early/late onset HAP and mortality. The crucial time for evaluating the presence of risk factors was their presence from hospital admission to the moment of fulfilling the criteria for pneumonia. Risk factors were divided into two groups, on factors of the patient (uncontrollable) and by the hospitalization (controllable). Factors of the patient were: gender (male/female), age at enrollment (years), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, multi-organ failure presence (MOF), hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD) chronic renal insufficiency (CRI), continual use of renal replacement therapy (CRRT), acute renal insufficiency (ARI), diabetes mellitus (DM), Chronical Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), immunosuppression or leukopenia <1.5x109/l, impaired consciousness with Glasgow coma scale (GCS) <8 tracheotomy, head trauma/neurosurgery, abdominal surgery-thoracotomy. Side factors hospitalization were: aspiration into the lungs, urgent intubation, reintubated, sedation, bronchoscopy, nasogastric intubation, enteral feeding continuously/intermittently intolerance of enteral nutrition, physiotherapy, repeated transport of the patient from the ICU, length of hospital stay, length of mechanical ventilation, 30-day mortality.

Inclusion criteria

• Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
• Intensive Care patient
• X-ray signs of pneumonia

Exclusion criteria

• Age less than 18 years
• Negative culture findings in the airways
• Low quantity of culture findings