The study evaluates whether lung ultrasound monitoring could lead to earlier detection of ventilator associated pneumonia and influence outcome. Half of the participants will be diagnosed with VAP using a combination of lung ultrasound and clinical features and half will be diagnosed using the Johanson criteria, which is a combination of clinical features and chest x-ray.

The current guidelines recommend the use of chest x-ray or computed tomography of the chest to aid in the diagnosis of VAP. However many studies have shown that chest x-ray is neither very sensitive nor specific for pneumonia, and computed tomography, though has the highest diagnostic accuracy, is not routinely performed due to logistics, safety concerns, economics and radiation exposure.

Emerging studies including meta-analyses have shown high sensitivity and specificity of lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia. When combined with clinical and microbiological features it has shown to be helpful in early diagnosis of VAP, but a study to show whether such early detection improves outcome is lacking.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours
• Absence of pneumonia as the reason for mechanical ventilation (includes clinical, radiological or sonographic diagnosis)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Recent trauma or surgery to the thorax (including chest tube insertion)
• Presence of dressings or skin conditions restricting access to the thorax
• Confirmed pregnancy
• If already enrolled in the study
• Denial of consent

all data

starting 6 months after publication

access will be shared on request