Use of Microscopy, Cultures and Molecular Biological Methods for Diagnosing Nosocomial Pneumonia

Use of Microscopy, Cultures and Molecular Biological Methods for Diagnosing Nosocomial Pneumonia in Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit - an Exploratory Study

Nosocomial pneumonia in the Intensive Care Unit is often not properly diagnosed mainly due to ongoing antimicrobial therapy. The study investigates the feasibility of more advanced diagnostic technics.

ICU patients fulfilling the CDC criteria for nosocomial pneumonia and mechanically ventilated for no more than 24 hours are included in the study. The material for the diagnostic procedure is pulmonal secretion collected by 1. suctioning in the tracheal tube and 2. bronchioalveolar lavage. The diagnostic procedures are culturing, 16S and18S gene PCR and subsequent sequencing. The 3 diagnostic methods will be compared in order of proper diagnosis and the ability to determine a specific antimicrobial treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients intubated because of respiratory failure following nosocomial pneumonia

Exclusion Criteria:

• Terminal patients
• Patients with lung cancer
• Intubated for more than 24 hours at the sampling time
• Not fulfilling the CDC criteria for nosocomial pneumonia