Ventilation Associated Pneumonias in Paediatric Intensive Care Units; experience at two tertiary Care Hospitals of Lahore

Ventilation associated pneumonia (vap) is one of the important causes of weaning failure from mechanical ventilation. appropriate treatment of vap according to culture and sensitivity pattern leads to early extubation and weaning from mechanical ventilation. objectives: to describe the frequency of vap in paediatric intensive care units (picu) at the children's hospital lahore and ghurki trust teaching hospital,lahore. study design: hospital based descriptive study. subjects and methods: a total of 100 children aged one month to 18 years were ventilated and studied over a span of one year. in all patients x-rays were done and blood investigations including complete blood counts (total leucocyte count,differential leucocyte counts) and blood cultures were performed along with clinical assessment of the patients. conclusion: thirty two children out of 100 ventilated children were found to have vap and pseudomonas was the commonest organism on blood culture. duration of ventilation was not a contributing factor in the development of vap.