New scoring system may be effective in predicting mortality in patients with VAP

A five-point scoring system known as IBMP-10 may be comparable to the APACHE II scoring system in predicting mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia, according to results of a new study.

Researchers from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. developed the system. The aim was to establish a score to predict mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia and to compare the system with the APACHE II.

The researchers collected data from 178 patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. They performed a univariate analysis of data from those patients and developed the IBMP-10 score accordingly.

Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to compare the mortality prediction ability of the two systems.

Each of the following variables was assigned one point in the IBMP-10 system:

• the presence of immunodeficiency
• blood pressure <90mm Hg (systolic) or <60 mm Hg (diastolic)
• multilobar infiltrates noted on a chest radiograph
• platelet count <100,000/mm³
• duration of hospitalization before the onset of ventilator-associated pneumonia of <10 days.

The APACHE II scoring system had an area under the curve of 0.743, and the IBMP-10 score had an area under the curve of 0.824 (P<.001).

Mirsaeidi M et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;49:72-77.