Ventilator-
Associated
Pneumonia

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a pneumonia (lung infection) occurring in patients in an intensive care unit (ICU), requiring external mechanical breathing support (a ventilator) intermittently or continuously, through a breathing tube for more than 48 hours.

VAP can develop in patients for many reasons. Because they are relying on an external machine to breath, their normal coughing, yawning, and deep breath reflexes are suppressed. They may have a depressed immune system, making them more vulnerable to infection. ICU teams have many ways to try to assist patients with these normal breathing reflexes, but despite this, patients are still at risk for developing pneumonia.

Reporting

All hospitals with ICUs are required to report into the Critical Care Information System (CCIS) – a centralized data collection system where hospitals report a variety of critical care information. Every three (3) months, you will find VAP infection rates for SJGHEL posted on our website as required by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Included in the table is data on the number of new hospital-acquired cases and the rate for the quarter (3 months).