Objectives: This study aimed to determine how ventilator - associated pneumonia (VAP) frequency, and antibiotic susceptibilities are affected by the changes in the intensive care unit (ICU) conditions in adult patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, 457 VAP patients diagnosed in the ICUs of a training hospital between 2008 and 2017 were analyzed. Alterations in VAP rates during this period were evaluated. Results: Our results indicated that the improvement of physical conditions, and VAP prevention measures yielded a remarkable decline in the rates of VAP. VAP rates (cases per 1000 ventilator-days) decreased significantly between before 2013 and 2013-2017 periods (from 16.1 to 7.1; p<0.0000001). A total of 504 VAP episodes developed and 569 microorganisms were identified. The most frequent microorganisms were Acinetobacter baumanii (33.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (31.6%), Klebsiella pneumonia (12%). The resistances against sulbactam-ampicillin, imipenem, and meropenem were increased significantly after 2013. (p=0.002, p<0.001, p=0.001; respectively.) There was a noteworthy surge in resistances against colistin (p=0.010) in Gram - negative bacteria and teicoplanin in Gram - positive bacteria (p=0.044). Conclusion: The study shows that the rates of VAP can be decreased with collaboration with other disciplines, adherence to preventative measures and continue education of healthcare workers. Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, etiology, rate, ventilator - associated pneumonia
Corresponding Author: Sebnem Calik