Chest
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Comparative Study
A comparative analysis of patients with early-onset vs late-onset nosocomial pneumonia in the ICU setting.
To compare the clinical outcomes of critically ill patients developing early-onset nosocomial pneumonia (NP; ie, within 96 h of ICU admission) and late-onset NP (ie, occurring after 96 h of ICU admission). ⋯ Both early-onset and late-onset NP are associated with increased hospital mortality rates and prolonged lengths of stay. The pathogens associated with NP were similar for both groups. This may be due, in part, to the prior hospitalization and use of antibiotics in many patients developing early-onset NP. These data suggest that P aeruginosa and ORSA can be important pathogens associated with early-onset NP in the ICU setting. Additionally, clinicians should be aware of the common microorganisms associated with both early-onset NP and late-onset NP in their hospitals in order to avoid the administration of inadequate antimicrobial treatment.