Diagnostic non bactériologique des pneumopathies acquises sous ventilation mécanique

Pneumonia is usually suspected when clinical symptoms of infection are associated with the development of a new radiographic infiltrate. Nevertheless, these criteria are of poor specificity and can be misleading, yielding to over-diagnosis and then to an unneeded antimicrobial therapy. Several clinical, radiological and biological tools have been developed with the hope to improve the diagnostic accuracy. This review discusses some of the non microbiological means which could be used by the intensivist during the difficult diagnostic process of ventilator-associated pneumonia.