Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, has used these techniques to cut its ventilator-associated pneumonia rate by more than half, to 2.7 cases per 1, 000 ventilator days.

CNN: Unsung heroes work hard to cut hospital-acquired infections

Another rampant problem is ventilator-associated pneumonia, which afflicts anywhere from 10% to 25% of patients on the machines.

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At hospitals large and small, raising the head of the bed for patients on ventilators, brushing patients' teeth and taking other precautions have dramatically reduced ventilator-associated pneumonia, another common and costly infection.

CNN: Unsung heroes work hard to cut hospital-acquired infections