Prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia and bacterial isolates in mechanically ventilated dogs

It is likely that VAP is either over or under diagnosed in this population, as the clinician suspected VAP is based on subjective criteria. Findings suggest that avoiding fluoroquinolones may be beneficial when selecting an empiric antibiotic for cases in which VAP is suspected. Future studies should assess adaptions to the modified VAP surveillance guidelines for veterinary medicine because having guidelines that are too strict could eliminate cases altogether.