Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a lung infection that develops in a person who is on a ventilator. A ventilator is a machine that is used to help a patient breathe by giving oxygen through a tube placed in a patient's mouth or nose, or through a hole in the front of the neck. An infection may occur if germs enter through the tube and get into the patient's lungs.
VAP is a serious hospital-acquired condition that carries a substantial risk for death. Approximately 40,000 cases of VAP occur each year, and these cases are associated with about 6,000 deaths. Patients in hospitals can also develop pneumonia for reasons unrelated to ventilators, and pneumonia is sometimes difficult to diagnose. It is therefore important to properly assess inpatient pneumonia cases to accurately identify cases that are associated with ventilators.
Goal: The Partnership for Patients estimates that 50% of VAP cases are preventable. The goal set for hospitals is to reduce preventable cases of VAP by 50% by 2013. Over three years, this would prevent 17,500 cases of VAP.
