[Chinese guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults (2026 edition): protocol].

This document serves as the protocol for the development of the Chinese Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Adults (2026 Edition). Since the publication of the previous edition in 2018, the field of HAP/VAP diagnosis and treatment in China has undergone substantial changes, including updates in prevention concepts and measures, evolution of the pathogen spectrum and antimicrobial resistance patterns, widespread adoption of rapid molecular diagnostic technologies, the advent of novel antimicrobial agents, and growing demand for artificial intelligence applications in clinical practice; an update based on the latest local epidemiologic and evidence-based data is therefore urgently needed. This guideline is jointly initiated by the Infection Group of the Chinese Thoracic Society and the Respiratory Infection Group of the Chinese Association of Chest Physicians, and has been registered with the International Practice Guideline Registry(PREPARE-2026CN795). The guideline working group comprises a steering committee, a writing expert group, a secretariat, and an external review group, covering four major topics: prevention, diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, and other treatments. Through systematic searches of Chinese and English databases, relevant research evidence will be appropriately included; methodologic quality will be appraised according to the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence, and recommendations will be formulated through expert discussions and consensus meetings. The final guideline will be drafted in accordance with the RIGHT (Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in HealThcare) statement and is scheduled for publication in 2026, aiming to enhance the standardization of HAP/VAP diagnosis and treatment in China and to reduce the associated disease burden.