Incidence and diagnosis of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis in the intensive care unit: an international online survey

Table 3 Techniques used for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis

Technique	Global	SPF group	Latin American group	P value^a	OR (95% CI)^a
	n = 288	n = 141	n = 147
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
Endotracheal aspirate (ETA)	171 (59.4)	87 (61.7)	84 (57.1)	0.50	ND
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)	40 (13.9)	12 (8.5)	28 (19.0)^a	0.01	0.4 (0.2-0.8)
ETA plus other techniques	35 (12.2)	27 (19.1)	8 (5.4)^a	0.001	4.1 (1.7-10.3)
Mini-BAL	21 (7.3)	4 (2.8)^a	17 (11.6)^a	0.009	0.2 (0.07-0.08)
Protected specimen brush	4 (1.4)	3 (2.1)	1 (0.7)	0.58	ND
No response	17 (5.9)	8 (5.7)	9 (6.1)	1.00	ND

^aAll comparisons were made between Spain, Portugal, and France (SPF) and Latin American groups. CI, confidence interval; ND, not determined; OR, odds ratio.

ISSN: 1364-8535