Characteristics of Bacterial Isolates from Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and the Hospital Environment in Urmia, Iran.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a nosocomial infection involving hospitalized patients using mechanical ventilation. The endotracheal tube is a place for colonizing microbial populations and subsequent biofilm formation, leading to relative drug resistance. Also, the hospital environment may worsen the infection. This study aims to identify the microbial cause of the infection and evaluate its characteristics. Materials and Methods: Sampling was done using endotracheal tube suction among hospitalized patients and from different places in intensive care units in selected hospitals in Urmia, Iran. All specimens were identified by microbial and biochemical tests. Then, the antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory and bacteriocidal concentrations for selected antibiotics. Finally, the biofilm formation rates of all isolates were evaluated. Results: The majority of clinical bacterial isolates were Gram-negative bacilli, including Conclusion: The evidence shows that Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a critical infection. According to the findings, there is a high rate of biofilm formation and consequent drug resistance among bacterial causes of Ventilator-associated pneumonia, which needs new insights for preventing and controlling this healthcare problem.