The promise of blue light in combating ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Abstract

Introduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a deadly hospital-acquired infection that can impact between 5% and 40% of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. While preventative measures such as prophylactic antibiotics and oral care provided by the nursing staff exist, they are often insufficient and carry their own set of challenges. As a result, VAP not only increases hospital length of stay and rates of mortality but can also put a significant financial burden on hospitals and care centers.

Areas covered: This article provides an overview of current measures and ideas in development for VAP prevention, as well as their challenges and downfalls. The use of light therapies in combating infection are also discussed, with a particular emphasis on antimicrobial blue light as a potential tool for dealing with VAP. A comprehensive literature search and narrative review was conducted using the PubMed database through June 2025.

Expert opinion: Novel applications of blue light in VAP prevention may significantly improve patient outcomes. This technology may also help reduce rates of clinician burnout. This reduction is especially important in low- and middle-income countries where access to advanced resources may be limited. Thus, the authors urge development in this field as the need for infection-prevention technologies grows yearly.