Incidence& Epidemiology A significant proportion of neonates admitted to NICU require mechanical ventilation; accounts for up to 30% of nosocomial infections Ventilator-associated sepsis in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) [11,12] Mechanically ventilated neonates have a high fatality. Survival rate in artificially ventilated neonates is reported as 64% by Trotman[16] and 67.9% by Karthikeyan and Hossain[17] though survival of such neonates has been higher in developed countries.[18] The most common reasons for mechanical ventilation were respiratory distress syndrome (70%) and perinatal asphyxia (14%)[19]. None of the infants intubated had radiographic evidence of pulmonary infection at initiation of ventilatory support[20].