呼吸器相關肺炎是指病患插管使用呼吸器超過48小時後產生的院內肺炎，也是重症單位插管病患最常見的院內感染疾病之一。呼吸器是提供病患氧合和換氣的重要儀器，而呼吸器的人為操作、設備設施與感染之間，一直在臨床上維持著重要的相互關聯性。呼吸器相關肺炎不僅提高病患死亡率、延長加護病房留住天數、增加醫療成本支出，更嚴重地影響病患預後以及整體住院之醫療品質。本文主要目的在提供一些呼吸器相關肺炎的成因與預防措施，期望能做為臨床照護人員照護上之參考。

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a hospital-acquired pneumonia that occurs in patients usually 48 hours or more after mechanical ventilator intubation. VAP is the most common nosocomial infection in critically ill patients. Mechanical ventilators are critical oxygenation and ventilation systems for patients. However, there is a close relationship among self-use efficacy, system settings, and VAP infection rate. VAP not only results in higher mortality, longer hospital stays, and higher medical costs, but also negatively affects patient outcomes and medical care quality. The purpose of this article was to provide reference information on VAP risk factors and prevention measures.