Management of ventilator-associated pneumonia: Need for a personalized approach

Introduction: Optimizing management of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) should focus on the accurate identification of true lung infection, determination of the etiological agent, and early institution of adequate empirical therapy and de-escalation. Local adaptation of the standard guidelines leads to favorable outcome in the management of VAP Areas covered: In this review, we present the concepts of early adequate therapy and the key considerations such as patient characters, clinical and etiological diagnosis, and assessment of patients for de-escalation that favor optimization of therapy. We highlight the issues that need a personalized approach in the management of VAP emphasizing on various patient categories for reassessment and tailoring the therapy. Expert commentary: Rapid diagnostic techniques and non-invasive metabolomics will identify phenotypes which will shift the traditional paradigm based on conventional cultures. A personalized approach taking into account baseline resistance epidemiology, underlying disease (and comorbidities), duration of hospitalization, and prior antimicrobial exposure should guide targeted therapy.