Intubated infants in the NICU are at risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia
(VAP), a common type of health care–associated infection. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention developed guidelines for diagnosing VAP in patients younger than 1 year,
which include worsening gas exchange, radiographic findings, and at least 3 defined clinical
signs of pneumonia. VAP in infants is treated with empiric antibiotics selected based on local
resistance patterns and individualized patient data. Many NICUs have implemented …

The second most prevalent healthcare-associated infection in neonatal intensive care units
(NICUs) is ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This review aims to update the
knowledge regarding the incidence of neonatal VAP and to summarize possible strategies
for prevention. The VAP incidence ranges from 1.4 to 7 episodes per 1000 ventilator days in
developed countries and from 16.1 to 89 episodes per 1000 ventilator days in developing
countries. This nosocomial infection is linked to higher rates of illness, death, and longer …