Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Critically Ill Patients

  1. Deborah Cook, MD
  1. St. Joseph's Hospital; Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada (Cook)

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    IN RESPONSE:

    Dr. Kramer correctly describes the patients in our study as receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours. All patients required an endotracheal tube, and noninvasive ventilation was not used.

    We share Dr. Kramer's interest in using precise language to describe research methods and results. As use of noninvasive ventilation increases, particularly as a strategy for liberating patients from conventional mechanical ventilation (1), new constructs may be useful to more clearly distinguish the temporal and etiologic relations between different life support technologies and nosocomial lung infection. We look forward to the evolution of this lexicon.

    Deborah Cook, MD

    St. Joseph's Hospital; Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada

    The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:

    •Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references

    •Type with double-spacing

    •Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.

    Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.

    Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.

    Reference

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