Intensive care medicine
-
Intensive care medicine · Feb 2020
ReviewSelective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) in critically ill patients: a narrative review.
Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) is an infection prevention measure for intensive care unit (ICU) patients that was proposed more than 30 years ago, and that is currently considered standard of care in the Netherlands, but only used sporadically in ICUs in other countries. In this narrative review, we first describe the rationale of the individual components of SDD and then review the evidence base for patient-centered outcomes, where we distinguish ICUs with low prevalence of antibiotic resistance from ICUs with moderate-high prevalence of resistance. ⋯ There is no evidence that SDD increases antibiotic resistance. We end with future directions for research.
-
Intensive care medicine · Feb 2020
ReviewAntimicrobial de-escalation as part of antimicrobial stewardship in intensive care: no simple answers to simple questions-a viewpoint of experts.
Antimicrobial de-escalation (ADE) is defined as the discontinuation of one or more components of combination empirical therapy, and/or the change from a broad-spectrum to a narrower spectrum antimicrobial. It is most commonly recommended in the intensive care unit (ICU) patient who is treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics as a strategy to reduce antimicrobial pressure of empirical broad-spectrum therapy and prevent antimicrobial resistance, yet this has not been convincingly demonstrated in a clinical setting. Even if it appears beneficial, ADE may have some unwanted side effects: it has been associated with prolongation of antimicrobial therapy and could inappropriately be used as a justification for unrestricted broadness of empirical therapy. ⋯ The most appropriate use of ADE is in patients with microbiologically confirmed infections requiring longer antimicrobial therapy. ADE should be used as an integral part of an ICU antimicrobial stewardship approach in which it is guided by optimal specimen quality and relevance. Rapid diagnostics may further assist in avoiding unnecessary initiation of broad-spectrum therapy, which in turn will decrease the need for subsequent ADE.
-
To explore contemporary clincial case management of patients with Ebola virus disease. ⋯ With advanced training and adherence to infection prevention and control practices, clinical interventions, including critical care, are feasible and safe to perform in critically ill patients. With specific anti-Ebola medications, most patients can survive Ebola virus infection.
-
Intensive care medicine · Feb 2020
Practice GuidelineSurviving sepsis campaign international guidelines for the management of septic shock and sepsis-associated organ dysfunction in children.
To develop evidence-based recommendations for clinicians caring for children (including infants, school-aged children, and adolescents) with septic shock and other sepsis-associated organ dysfunction. ⋯ A large cohort of international experts was able to achieve consensus regarding many recommendations for the best care of children with sepsis, acknowledging that most aspects of care had relatively low quality of evidence resulting in the frequent issuance of weak recommendations. Despite this challenge, these recommendations regarding the management of children with septic shock and other sepsis-associated organ dysfunction provide a foundation for consistent care to improve outcomes and inform future research.