OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors of pulmonary fungal infections related to mechanical ventilation and the prognosis of patients.

METHODSA retrospective case-controlled study was conducted to analyze the culture results of the pulmonary secretions in patients with pulmonary fungal and nonfungal infections in association with mechanical ventilations. The risk factors of pulmonary fungal infections related to mechanical ventilation were identified and their impact on the clinical outcome of the patients was evaluated.

RESULTSOf the 127 patients included in this study, 81 (63.78%) were positive and 46 (36.22%) negative for pulmonary fungal infections according to the diagnostic criteria of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The mortality of the patients with fungal infection was 82.7%, significantly higher than that of patients with non-fungal infection (67.39%, chi2=3.910, P<0.05). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression showed that such factors as old age, duration of mechanical ventilation, tracheal intubation or incision for over 7 days, diabetes, blood glucose over 6.1 mmol/L, multi-organ dysfunction, combined use of antibiotics, at least 3-time changes antibiotics, administration of glucocorticosteroid for over 7 days, and immunodepressant use were all the independence risk factors of pulmonary fungal infection related to mechanical ventilation. Old age, multi-organ dysfunction, blood glucose over 6.1 mmol/L, glucocorticosteroid use for over 7 days, anesthetic use for over 3 days and high APACHE III scores were the risk factors for mortality in patients with the infections.

CONCLUSIONSPulmonary fungal infection associated to mechanical ventilation is often the results of presence of multiple risk factors, and early identification of these factors for timely antifungal treatment may improve the prognostics of the patients and help reduce the mortality rate.