Experience with a clinical guideline for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Abstract

The application of a clinical guideline for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia can increase the initial administration of adequate antimicrobial treatment and decrease the overall duration of antibiotic treatment. These findings suggest that similar types of guidelines employing local microbiological data can be used to improve overall antibiotic utilization for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia.