Introduction:

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common and serious complication in patients intubated for more than 48 hours, with high mortality, especially due to multidrug-resistant infections.

Objective:

To describe the bacteriological profile and antimicrobial resistance patterns in tracheal secretion cultures in patients with VAP in the intensive care unit of the Rigoberto Caballero Central Police Hospital, Asunción, during the period 2024-2025.

Methodology:

A retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional observational study was conducted, with non-probabilistic sampling of consecutive cases. Patients over 18 years of age admitted to the intensive care unit who had undergone tracheal secretion culture and had a clinical and/or microbiological diagnosis of VAP were included. Data were collected from the patients' medical records and from the hospital's bacteriology department.

Results:

Thirty-one patients diagnosed with NAVM were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 61 years, with a predominance of males (70.96%). Fifty-four point eight-three percent had undergone tracheotomy. One to four bacteria were isolated per patient, and in 64.52% of cases, two or more microorganisms were detected. The most frequent pathogen was Acinetobacter baumannii complex (74.19%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (54.83%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (25.80%). High antimicrobial resistance was observed, notably A. baumannii with 86.95% resistance to carbapenems, and K. pneumoniae with 58.82% resistance to third-generation cephalosporins.

Conclusion:

The bacteriological profile shows a predominance of A. baumannii complex, present in 74.19% of cases, followed by K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, with high rates of antimicrobial resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, and tigecycline.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )