BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection occurring in intensive care units. OBJECTIVE: To determinate the impact of multidrug-resistant bacteria on morbidity and mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. METHOD: Retrospective cohort study. Over 40 consecutive months, 91 patients on mechanical ventilation developed pneumonia. Cases were grouped into those caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms and those caused by drug-sensitive microorganisms. RESULTS: Multidrug-resistant bacteria were isolated in 75 cases (82.4%) and drug-sensitive bacteria in 16 (17.6%). Clinical and epidemiological characteristics were not statistically different between the groups. Staphylococcus aureus was responsible for 27.5% of ventilator-associated pneumonia episodes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for 17.6%. Early-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia occurred in 33 patients (36.3%) and late-onset in 58 (63.7%). Time on mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit stay and overall length of hospital stay were not statistically different between groups. Empirical treatment was considered inadequate in 42 patients with pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms (56%) and in 4 with pneumonia caused by drug-sensitive microorganisms (25%) (p = 0.02). Death occurred in 46 patients with pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms (61.3%) and in 4 with pneumonia caused by drug-sensitive microorganisms (25%) (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Bacterial multidrug-resistance had no impact on morbidity but was associated with higher mortality.
Pneumonia bacterial; Respiration artificial; Indicators of morbidity and mortality
