Arvanitis, MariosAnagnostou, TheodoraKourkoumpetis, Themistoklis K.Ziakas, Panayiotis D.Desalermos, AthanasiosMylonakis, E2014-04-112014Arvanitis, Marios, Theodora Anagnostou, Themistoklis K. Kourkoumpetis, Panayiotis D. Ziakas, Athanasios Desalermos, and Eleftherios Mylonakis. 2014. “The Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance and Aging in VAP Outcomes: Experience from a Large Tertiary Care Center.” PLoS ONE 9 (2): e89984. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089984. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0089984.1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:12064539Background: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious infection among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: We reviewed the medical charts of all patients admitted to the adult intensive care units of the Massachusetts General Hospital that went on to develop VAP during a five year period. Results: 200 patients were included in the study of which 50 (25%) were infected with a multidrug resistant pathogen. Increased age, dialysis and late onset (≥5 days from admission) VAP were associated with increased incidence of resistance. Multidrug resistant bacteria (MDRB) isolation was associated with a significant increase in median length of ICU stay (19 vs. 16 days, p = 0.02) and prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation (18 vs. 14 days, p = 0.03), but did not impact overall mortality (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.51–2.46, p = 0.77). However, age (HR 1.04 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p = 0.003) was an independent risk factor for mortality and age ≥65 years was associated with increased incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.27–6.32, p = 0.01). Conclusions: MDRB-related VAP is associated with prolonged ICU stay and mechanical ventilation. Interestingly, age ≥ 65 years is associated with MRSA VAP.en-USBiologyMicrobiologyBacterial pathogensStaphylococciMedicineCritical care and emergency medicineVentilatory supportEpidemiologyGeriatricsInfectious diseasesBacterial diseasesMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusStaph infectionsStaphylococcal infectionStaphylococcus aureusFungal diseasesJournal Article2014-04-1110.1371/journal.pone.0089984