Clinical and economic impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units in Japan

Abstract

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has a considerable impact on both clinical outcomes and healthcare costs. This study compared 40 patients having VAP with 40 matched controls from a Japanese ICU dataset. Patients with VAP experienced significantly longer ICU and hospital stays, fewer ventilator-free days, and a higher incidence of tracheostomies. VAP cases also required more broad-spectrum antimicrobials, leading to an additional cost of approximately USD 24,410 per case. These results highlight the importance of implementing effective infection control strategies to mitigate VAP's clinical and economic consequences.