TY - JOUR T1 - Smoking status and respiratory infections during mechanical ventilation JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - P2711 AU - Lucas Boeck AU - Hans Pargger AU - Peter Schellongowski AU - Charles-Edouard Luyt AU - Marco Maggiorini AU - Maurizio Bernasconi AU - Kathleen Jahn AU - Jean Chastre AU - Rene Lötscher AU - Evelyne Bucher AU - Nadine Cueni AU - Michael Koller AU - Annekathrin Mehlig AU - Thomas Staudinger AU - Heiner Bucher AU - Michael Tamm AU - Daiana Stolz Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P2711.abstract N2 - Background: Smoking is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary infections. However, little is known about smoking history and respiratory infections during mechanical ventilation.Objectives: To assess smoking status in ventilator-associated respiratory infections.Methods: Preliminary data from the multicentric prospective BioVent study, investigating mechanically ventilated critical ill patients, were analysed. Responsible intensivists evaluated the presence of a respiratory infection. Respiratory infections during mechanical ventilation, from 48 hours after start up to 14 days, were assessed.Results: Out of 173 mechanically ventilated patients (mean age 62 ± 16 years; mean duration of mechanical ventilation 8 ± 10 days) 45 patients (26%) never smoked, 61 patients (39%) stopped smoking more than one month before mechanical ventilation and 67 patients (35%) smoked until the month before mechanical ventilation.The time to first respiratory infection was shorter in current smokers as compared to never smokers (p = 0.042) and shorter in former smokers as in never smokers (p = 0.002; figure). There was no difference between current and former smokers (p = 0.30). In cox regression the smoking status was associated with respiratory infection, independent of age, gender, COPD and duration of mechanical ventilation.Conclusions: A smoking history probably increases the risk of respiratory infections during mechanical ventilation. ER -