Resumo

ZAIDI, Mussaret; MARTIN, Gloria  e  ROSADO, Rilke. An outbreak of ventilator-associated pneumonia in Merida, Yucatán. Salud pública Méx [online]. 1999, vol.41, suppl.1, pp. S38-S44. ISSN 0036-3634.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-36341999000700008.

OBJECTIVES. To determine the main epidemiological, clinical, and microbiologic characteristics of an outbreak of ventilator-associated pneumonia at an intensive care unit in Yucatan. MATERIAL AND METHODS. An 11-month prospective and observational study was designed to determine incidence, mortality, potential reservoirs, etiologic agents and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. RESULTS. The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 74%. The crude mortality rate was 88% compared to a 19.5% expected-mortality rate. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 98% of the cultures, of which 46% were susceptible to third generation cephalosporins, 59% to fourth generation cephalosporins, 70% to ciprofloxacin and 100% to imipenem. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from some of the ventilator circuits and the sink. CONCLUSIONS. The high incidence of pneumonia and associated mortality in our intensive care unit may be attributed to the absence of infection control measures and the high prevalence of multiresistant organisms which is related to antibiotic abuse.

Palavras-chave : cross infection; pneumonia; ventilators, mechanical; Mexico.