Making Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Rate a Meaningful Quality Marker

Introduction: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) rate has been tracked as a comparable quality measure but there is significant variation between types of ICUs. We sought to understand variability and improve its utility as a marker of quality. Methods: The National Trauma Database was surveyed to identify risk factors for VAP. Logistic regression, χ2, Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: Risk factors associated with developing VAP were: injury severity score (ISS) (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.03 -1.04), prehospital assisted respiration (PHAR) (OR 1.10, 1.03 -1.17), thoracic injuries (OR 2.28, 1.69-3.08), diabetes (OR 1.32, 1.20 -1.46), male gender (OR 1.38, 1.28 -1.60), care at a teaching hospital (OR 1.40, 1.29 -1.47) and unplanned intubation (OR 2.76, 2.52-3.03). Discussion: ISS, PHAR, diabetes, male gender, care at a teaching hospital and unplanned intubation are risk factors for the development of VAP. These factors should be accounted for in order to make VAP an effective quality marker.