Ventilator-associated pneumonia diagnosis

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In intensive care units (ICUs), pneumonia is the most frequent nosocomial infection (1-3) and occurs most often as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in patients on mechanical ventilation. The overall incidence of VAP in different studies varies between 10% and 85%, depending on the patient population and the criteria used to establish the diagnosis. Ventilator-associated pneumonia has been associated with an attributable mortality rate ranging from 13% to 47% (4-7), although this is not a consistent finding (8-10). 

V. THE ARGUMENT FOR BRONCHOSCOPY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF VENTILATOR- AND NONVENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED NOSOCOMIAL PNEUMONIA... 

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