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Volume 7, Number 2—April 2001
THEME ISSUE
4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-Associated Infections
Prevention is Primary

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia or Not? Contemporary Diagnosis

C. Glen MayhallComments to Author 
Author affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

Main Article

Table

Quantitative cultures and microscopic examination of lower respiratory tract secretions in the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumoniaa

Diagnostic techniques Sensitivity Specificity Positive predictive value Negative predictive value
PSBb cultures (>103 CFU/mL) 82% 89% 90% 89%
BAL cultures (>104 CFU/mL) 91% 78% 83% 87%
Microscopic examination of BAL fluid (>5% intracellular organisms) 91% 89% 91% 89%

aFrom ref 10. bPSB = protected specimen brush; BAL = bronchoalveolar lavage.

Main Article

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