RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis in the intensive care unit JF Saudi Medical Journal JO Saudi Med J FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City SP 1453 OP 1462 DO 10.15537/smj.2015.12.12345 VO 36 IS 12 A1 Al-Omari, Awad A1 Mohammed, Masood A1 Alhazzani, Waleed A1 Al-Dorzi, Hasan M. A1 Belal, Mohammed S. A1 Albshabshe, Ali O. A1 Al-Subaie, Maha F. A1 Arabi, Yaseen M. YR 2015 UL http://smj.org.sa/content/36/12/1453.abstract AB Objectives: To assess current practices of different healthcare providers for treating extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) infections in tertiary-care centers in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in tertiary-care centers of Saudi Arabia between March and June 2014. A questionnaire consisting of 3 parts (respondent characteristics; case scenarios on ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP] and tracheobronchitis [VAT], and antibiotic choices in each scenario) was developed and sent electronically to participants in 34 centers across Saudi Arabia.Results: One-hundred and eighty-three respondents completed the survey. Most of the respondents (54.6%) preferred to use colistin-based combination therapy to treat VAP caused by XDR AB, and 62.8% chose to continue treatment for 2 weeks. Most of the participants (80%) chose to treat VAT caused by XDR AB with intravenous antibiotics. A significant percentage of intensive care unit (ICU) fellows (41.3%) and clinical pharmacists (35%) opted for 2 million units (mu) of colistin every 8 hours without a loading dose, whereas 60% of infectious disease consultants, 45.8% of ICU consultants, and 44.4% of infectious disease fellows preferred a 9 mu loading dose followed by 9 mu daily in divided doses. The responses for the scenarios were different among healthcare providers (p<0.0001).Conclusion: Most of the respondents in our survey preferred to use colistin-based combination therapy and intravenous antibiotics to treat VAP and VAT caused by XDR AB. However, colistin dose and duration varied among the healthcare providers.