We prospectively studied the impact of an antibiotic prophylaxis regimen on the incidence of infections, organ dysfunctions, and mortality in a predominantly surgical and trauma intensive care unit (ICU) population. A total of 546 patients were enrolled and stratified according to Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE)-II scores. They were then randomized to receive either 2 x 400 mg of intravenous ciprofloxacin for 4 days, together with a mixture of topical gentamicin and polymyxin applied to the nostrils, mouth, and stomach throughout their ICU stay or to receive intravenous and topical placebo. When receiving prophylaxis, significantly fewer patients acquired infections (p = 0.001, risk ratio [RR], 0.477; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.367-0.620), especially pneumonias (6 versus 29, p = 0.007), other lower respiratory tract infections (39 versus 70, p = 0.007), bloodstream infections (14 versus 36, p = 0.007), or urinary tract infections (36 versus 60, p = 0.042). Also, significantly fewer patients acquired severe organ dysfunctions (63 versus 96 patients, p = 0.0051; RR, 0.636; 95% CI, 0.463-0.874), especially renal dysfunctions (17 versus 38; p = 0.018). Within 5 days after admission, 24 patients died in each group, whereas 28 patients receiving prophylaxis and 51 receiving placebo died in the ICU thereafter (p = 0.0589; RR, 0.640; 95% CI, 0.402-1.017). The overall ICU mortality was not statistically different (52 versus 75 fatalities), but the mortality was significantly reduced for 237 patients of the midrange stratum with APACHE-II scores of 20-29 on admission (20 versus 38 fatalities, p = 0.0147; RR, 0.508; 95% CI, 0.295-0.875); there was still a favorable trend after 1 year (51 versus 60 fatalities; p = 0.0844; RR, 0.720; 95% CI, 0.496-1.046). Surveillance cultures from tracheobronchial, oropharyngeal, and gastric secretions and from rectal swabs did not show any evidence for the selection of resistant microorganisms in the patients receiving prophylaxis.

Patients exposed to a surgical safety checklist experience better postoperative outcomes, but this could simply reflect wider quality of care in hospitals where checklist use is routine.

In a randomized clinical trial the prophylactic effects of locally administered antimicrobials on quantitative colonization and respiratory infections were studied in intubated patients with an expected period of mechanical ventilation of greater than 6 days. Nineteen patients received 50 mg of polymyxin B and 80 mg of gentamicin distributed among nose, oropharynx and stomach at 6-h intervals, as well as 300 mg of amphotericin B in the oropharynx. Twenty untreated patients served as controls. In the control group colonization by respiratory pathogens was more common (oropharynx 19 vs 6 patients (p less than 0.001); trachea 19 vs 11 (p less than 0.01)), and the number as well as the count of the colonizing species was usually higher. Fourteen patients of the control group developed respiratory infections, including nine cases of pneumonia, as compared to four patients with prophylaxis, including one case of pneumonia (p less than 0.01). Pneumonia-associated deaths were prevented with prophylaxis; however, the overall mortality remained unchanged. Respiratory infections in the prophylaxis group were associated with organisms resistant to the agents used, but the overall occurrence of resistance was not increased, as compared to the control group. We conclude that unrestrained upper airway colonization by respiratory pathogens and respiratory tract infection were causally related. Local antimicrobial prophylaxis proved to be a highly effective strategy for the prevention of potentially life-threatening pneumonias in critically ill patients, but in the present study the host setting appeared to be the major determinant of outcome.

Although impairment of splanchnic perfusion may induce mucosal hypoxia and endotoxaemia during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), little is known about the changes in mucosal oxygenation during and after the procedure. To study the effects of liver surgery itself on mucosal pH (pHi) and the response of pHi to acute changes in portal flow, we measured gastric pHi during six liver resections using tonometry: in two patients, after clamping of the hepatoduodenal ligament, pHi decreased within 30 min and recovered promptly after reperfusion. We then investigated gastric and sigmoid pHi (pHig, pHis) during the perioperative phase in 18 OLT. Median pHi values were low before surgery (pHig 7.28 (first/third quartiles 7.22/7.34); pHis 7.27 (7.12/7.36)). Although global oxygen delivery and haemodynamic variables remained constant and veno-venous bypass (VVB) was used to maintain portal flow, pHi declined during the anhepatic phase (pHig 7.19 (7.13/7.23), P < 0.01; pHis 7.13 (7.06/7.24), P < 0.05). After reperfusion of the graft, pHi recovered and did not differ from baseline values by the end of OLT. After operation pHig increased further, reaching the highest values 30 h after ICU admission (7.34 (7.26/7.38)). In the intraoperative period, no significant endotoxaemia was observed either in portal or systemic blood. The maximum reduction in pHi was related neither to the duration of VVB and OLT nor to the number of red cell units transfused. pHi after reperfusion did not correlate with graft viability or dysfunction of the lung or kidney. We conclude that pHi indicates mucosal ischaemia during OLT which is not necessarily associated with endotoxaemia, and intraoperative pHi monitoring does not appear to be a valuable predictor of postoperative graft failure and organ dysfunction.

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Nosocomial pneumonia continues to represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Bacteria are responsible for greater than 90% of the pneumonias, the most common isolates being aerobic Gram-negative bacilli and S. aureus. Cornerstones of treatment are intravenous antibiotics and supportive care. In the individual case the true etiology is usually unknown; therefore empiric broad spectrum treatment is commonly used based on the prevalence of local pathogens, their antibiotic sensitivity pattern and on host factors. Combination antibiotic regimens, including beta-lactams and aminoglycosides, are considered as standard therapy and are associated with clinical success rates of greater than 80%. Monotherapy with broad spectrum antibiotics, such as third generation cephalosporins, imipenem and fluoroquinolones, can be considered as equally effective in non-neutropenic patients and in the absence of P. aeruginosa infection. More active and less toxic antibiotics are still needed for problematic pathogens such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains, multiresistant Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas species. Because further improvement in morbidity and mortality may be limited with antibiotics alone, new emphasis should be placed on prevention of infection and the use of immunotherapy.

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Background The Clavien–Dindo classification is perhaps the most widely used approach for reporting postoperative complications in clinical trials. This system classifies complication severity by the treatment provided. However, it is unclear whether the Clavien–Dindo system can be used internationally in studies across differing healthcare systems in high‐ (HICs) and low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Methods This was a secondary analysis of the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), a prospective observational cohort study of elective surgery in adults. Data collection occurred over a 7‐day period. Severity of complications was graded using Clavien–Dindo and the simpler ISOS grading (mild, moderate or severe, based on guided investigator judgement). Severity grading was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Data are presented as frequencies and ICC values (with 95 per cent c.i.). The analysis was stratified by income status of the country, comparing HICs with LMICs. Results A total of 44 814 patients were recruited from 474 hospitals in 27 countries (19 HICs and 8 LMICs). Some 7508 patients (16·8 per cent) experienced at least one postoperative complication, equivalent to 11 664 complications in total. Using the ISOS classification, 5504 of 11 664 complications (47·2 per cent) were graded as mild, 4244 (36·4 per cent) as moderate and 1916 (16·4 per cent) as severe. Using Clavien–Dindo, 6781 of 11 664 complications (58·1 per cent) were graded as I or II, 1740 (14·9 per cent) as III, 2408 (20·6 per cent) as IV and 735 (6·3 per cent) as V. Agreement between classification systems was poor overall (ICC 0·41, 95 per cent c.i. 0·20 to 0·55), and in LMICs (ICC 0·23, 0·05 to 0·38) and HICs (ICC 0·46, 0·25 to 0·59). Conclusion Caution is recommended when using a treatment approach to grade complications in global surgery studies, as this may introduce bias unintentionally.