A Formula for Prediction of Posttraumatic Pneumonia Based on Early Anatomic and Physiologic Parameters

Background: Identification of risks for development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which might be identified early after injury, would allow for prognostic estimates and targeting of high-risk cohorts for clinical trials of preventive strategies. This study was performed to develop an equation that can be applied to estimate the probability of pneumonia based on parameters collected in the early postinjury interval. Methods: Over a 28-month period, patient admissions were reviewed for mechanism and severity of injury, patterns of injury, shock, and need for emergent intubation. Early deaths (