Fig. 1. (A ) Comparison of serum concentrations of procalcitonin (mean with 95% confidence interval) between the control group, the ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) group, and the non-VAP group on days 0, 3, and 6. *P < 0.02 versus  the non-VAP group; #P < 0.02 versus  the control group. (B ) Comparison of alveolar concentrations of procalcitonin (mean with 95% confidence interval) between the control group, the VAP group, and the non-VAP group on days 0, 3, and 6. #P < 0.02 versus  the control group.