Question:medium
What is the most common organism causing ventilator associated pneumonia?
What is the most common organism causing ventilator associated pneumonia?
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Among the ESKAPE bugs, Pseudomonas is the single most common VAP isolate.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Legionella
- Pneumococcus
- Pseudomonas
- Coagulase negative staphylococcus
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Think of VAP as a late-onset nosocomial pneumonia where Gram negative bacilli and resistant Gram positives predominate.
Step 2: Surveillance data put Pseudomonas aeruginosa at roughly 21 percent of isolates, narrowly the single most frequent cause, with Staphylococcus aureus close behind near 20 percent.
Step 3: The ESKAPE mnemonic (Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter) captures the usual culprits. The community-pathogen Legionella, the lobar-pneumonia pneumococcus, and skin-flora coagulase negative staphylococcus are not the top VAP agents.
Step 4: As a single agent the answer is Pseudomonas.
\[\boxed{\text{Pseudomonas aeruginosa}}\]
Step 2: Surveillance data put Pseudomonas aeruginosa at roughly 21 percent of isolates, narrowly the single most frequent cause, with Staphylococcus aureus close behind near 20 percent.
Step 3: The ESKAPE mnemonic (Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter) captures the usual culprits. The community-pathogen Legionella, the lobar-pneumonia pneumococcus, and skin-flora coagulase negative staphylococcus are not the top VAP agents.
Step 4: As a single agent the answer is Pseudomonas.
\[\boxed{\text{Pseudomonas aeruginosa}}\]
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