Objective: To determine the incidence and characteristics of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), describe related factors, and evaluate the outcomes of care in pediatric patients with VAP at Children’s Hospital 2 in 2025.
Subjects and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on 234 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Children’s Hospital 2 from March 2025 to December 2025.
Results: The incidence of VAP was 12.9%. The mean time to VAP onset was 5.09 ± 2.8 days. Early-onset VAP (≤ 5 days) accounted for 54.5%, while late-onset VAP (> 5 days) accounted for 45.5%. The median age of patients was 9 (4–13) years. The most common causative pathogen was Acinetobacter baumannii (46.6%). Factors associated with VAP included male sex, malnutrition, underlying diseases, prolonged ICU stay and duration of mechanical ventilation, and inadequate nursing care. After 7 days in the intensive care unit, 94.1% of patients were transferred to other wards for continued treatment, 4.7% were in severe condition/discharged against medical advice or died, and 1.2% achieved complete clinical stability.
Conclusion: The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 12.9%, with Acinetobacter baumannii being the most frequently identified pathogen. Factors associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia included: male sex, malnutrition or overweight/obesity, presence of underlying diseases, prolonged stay in the intensive care unit and duration of mechanical ventilation, and suboptimal nursing care.