Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common complication of mechanical ventilation associated with significant morbidity, including prolongation of mechanical ventilation and increased ICU and hospital length-of-stay. Numerous strategies have been proposed to decrease the occurrence of VAP among ventilated patients. Most notably, optimizing the use of daily sedative interruptions and daily spontaneous breathing trials can improve sedative management, decrease ventilator time, improve outcomes for mechanically ventilated patients,and possibly decrease VAP.Combining daily sedative interruption with daily spontaneous breathing trials confers additive improvement in ventilator days, intensive care days, and possibly mortality compared to daily spontaneous breathing trials alone.

The primary aim of this study is to determine the impact of an opt-out protocol for paired daily sedative interruptions and spontaneous breathing trials on VAP rates using a new streamlined VAP definition. The investigators will evaluate the responsiveness of CDC's proposed new surveillance definitions for ventilator-associated events to this quality improvement initiative. The study will be nested within the Epicenters Streamlined versus Conventional VAP Surveillance Study. Nine of the 18 hospitals in the larger study will be participating in this intervention arm.

Inclusion Criteria:

• all patients in participating units on mechanical ventilation for at least one calendar day beting treated with continuous sedatives or standing orders for sedatives. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation through either an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube will be eligible.

Exclusion Criteria:

• moribund status or plans for withdrawal of life support