Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP)

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a lung infection that develops in a person who is on a ventilator. A ventilator is a machine that is used to help a patient breathe by giving oxygen through a tube placed in a patient’s mouth or nose, or through a hole in the front of the neck. An infection may occur if germs enter through the tube and get into the patient’s lungs. CDC provides guidelines and tools to the healthcare community to help end ventilator-associated pneumonia and resources to help the public understand these infections and take measures to safeguard their own health when possible.

Resources for Patients and Healthcare Providers

• FAQs about Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP)
• Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update

Prevention

• Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Hospital-acquired, Ventilator-associated, and Healthcare-associated Pneumonia, 2005 [PDF – 29 pages]
• Guidelines for Preventing Healthcare Associated Pneumonia, 2003

Monitoring VAP

CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network Patient Safety Component includes surveillance methods to identify and track device-associated infections, such as central-line associated bloodstream infections.