RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) varies according to the type of intensive care units (ICUs). AIM: The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) and the effect of isolation rooms on the frequency of pneumonia in the ICU. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present investigation was carried out between January 2004 and July 2008. The ICU, which was 4-bed ward-type between January 2004 and February 2006 (1st period), was reconfigured as isolated rooms with only 2 beds each after March 2006 (2nd period). 153 and 379 patients were followed up in the ICU in the 1st and 2nd periods, respectively. Blood, sputum, and deep tracheal aspiration cultures were used for the isolation of the causative agents. RESULTS: No significant difference was detected between the general characteristics of patients. HAP developed in 101 patients (19%). The prevalence of HAP was 22.9% in the 1st period and 17.4% in the 2nd period. During the 1st and 2nd periods, the HAP infection densities were 22.2 and 16.1/1000 patient-days and the ventilator-associated pneumonia densities were 48.1 and 37.6/1000 ventilator-days, respectively. Eighty-six percent of HAP was ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). CONCLUSIONS: Isolation rooms in the ICU may be an effective strategy to control and decrease the rate of pneumonia in the ICU in addition to other preventive strategies.