Abstract:ObjectiveTo study the incidence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia(VAP)and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens in an intensive care unit(ICU).MethodsThe occurrence of VAP in hospitalized patients with mechanical ventilation >48 hours between January 2011 and December 2012 were investigated, species and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens causing early onsetVAP (EVAP, mechanical ventilation≤4 d)and lateonset VAP(LVAP,mechanical ventilation >4 d) were compared.ResultsA total of 176 patients were investigated,incidence of VAP was 44.32%(78 cases);With the prolongation of mechical ventilation,incidence of VAP increased gradually (χ2=52.561,P<0.001).The incidence of LVAP was significantly higher than EVAP (58.33% [70/120] vs 14.29% [8/56])(χ2=30.02,P<0.001).A total of 178 pathogens were isolated, gramnegative bacteria,grampositive bacteria and fungi were 104(58.43%),46(25.84%),and 28(15.73%) isolates respectively; 97(54.49%) multidrugresistance/pandrug resistance organisms (MDRO) were isolated. MDRO isolation rate in LVAP patients was higher than EVAP patients([58.86%,n=93] vs [20.00%,n=4]),resistance rate of major pathogens causing LVAP was significantly higher than EVAP patients(all P<0.05).Fungi infection only occurred in LVAP patients, the total antimicrobial resistance rate was 12.14%.ConclusionThe prolongation of mechanical ventilation can increase the incidence of VAP, and resistance rate of pathogen in LVAP is high.