Naveed Rashid, Faisal Sultan, Syed Hammad Nazeer, Summiya Nizammudin, Aun Raza, Amjad Mahboob, Nadeem Paul.
Spectrum of Pathogens of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia among Cancer Patients in Pakistan.
Infect Dis J Jan ;22(1):517-21.

Objective: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common complication among patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICU). Local research lacks data regarding its incidence in general or the immunocompromised population. In this study, we aim to determine the incidence and common etiological agents of ventilator associated pneumonia in cancer patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a major tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively by reviewing medical records of cancer patients admitted in the ICU from January 2010 till September 2012. Results: Out of the 2032 patients admitted into the ICU, 737 (36.3%) were mechanically ventilated. 23 (3.1%) of these fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for VAP (as per National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN); 10 (43.5%) of these patients suffered from solid organ malignancies while 12 (52.2%) suffered with haematological malignancies. The attributable mortality due to VAP was 60.9%, with 60% mortality in solid organ malignancies and 58.3% mortality in haematological malignancies. VAP rates ranged from 29.4 to 3.2. The most common pathogens identified were Acinetobacter baumannii, followed by members of Enterobacteriaceae family and Candida albicans. Conclusions: VAP rates in cancer patients in our institute are high with a high mortality rate.

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