Abstract
The objectives were to assess the prevalence of etiologic agents of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in patients staying in four big hospitals in the Czech Republic and requiring artificial ventilation. The resistance of the isolated pathogens to antibiotics was determined and initial antibiotic therapy was discussed.
The study showed that HAP in the Czech Republic was mostly of Gram-negative etiology. Variable antibiotic susceptibility in the two most frequent etiological agents (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) resulted in severe therapeutic difficulties.
A total of 49 % of patients received inadequate therapy. This fact suggests the impact of antibiotic resistance on intensive care patients' survival or death.
Our study confirmed that one in three patients dies because of HAP.