Host immune response in sepsis due to ventilator-associated pneumonia: how is it different?
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Correspondence: Eirini Christaki eirini.christaki@gmail.com
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906, USA
Critical Care 2009, 13:1009 doi:10.1186/cc8174
Published: 7 December 2009Abstract
Current evidence regarding potentially different host response mechanisms in sepsis according to the type of initiating infection is sporadic. It is possible that alterations in cell populations, variations in effector molecules, and the degree of apoptosis differ between sepsis caused by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and non-VAP sepsis. VAP is one of the most common infections and leading causes of sepsis in the intensive care unit, and mortality remains high. A better understanding of the unique pathophysiologic features of VAP is needed in order to develop interventions that target those specific pathways.