Prevention of<unk>  involves limiting exposure to resistant bacteria, discontinuing mechanical ventilation as soon as possible, and a variety of strategies to limit infection while intubated. Resistant bacteria are spread in much the same ways as any communicable disease. Proper hand washing, sterile technique for invasive procedures, and isolation of individuals with known resistant organisms are all mandatory for effective infection control. A variety of aggressive weaning protocols to limit the amount of time a person spends intubated have been proposed. One important aspect is limiting the amount of sedation that a ventilated person receives. Weak evidence suggests that raising the head of the bed to at least 30 degrees may help prevent<unk> , however further research is required to understand the risks associated with this. Antiseptic mouthwashes (in particular associated with toothbrushing) such as chlorhexidine may also reduce the risk of<unk> , although the evidence is mainly restricted to those who have undergone cardiac surgery. American and Canadian guidelines strongly recommend the use of subglottic secretion drainage (SSD). Special tracheal tubes with an incorporated suction lumen as the EVAC tracheal tube form Covidien / Mallinckrodt can be used for that reason. New cuff technology based on polyurethane material in combination with subglottic drainage (SealGuard Evac tracheal tube from Covidien / Mallinckrodt) showed significant delay in early and late onset of<unk> . There is little evidence that the use of silver-coated endotracheal tubes reduces the incidence of<unk>  in the first ten days of ventilation. There is tentative evidence that the use of probiotics may reduced the likelihood of getting<unk> , however it is unclear if probiotics affect ICU or in-hospital death.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia
Hospital-acquired pneumonia
Community-acquired pneumonia
Occult pneumonia
Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome
Ventilator-associated lung injury
Aspiration pneumonia
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome