Infection Control in the Intensive Care Unit

Intensive care is a rapidly changing area of medicine; this third edition of "Infection Control in the Intensive Care Unit" has the same format as the previous one but covers a wider scope of infection prevention, from lower airways to bloodstream.

This edition condenses and updates the information of the previous edition, with the addition of new tables and figures, and contains two completely new chapters on microcirculation and mechanisms of action behind the efficacy of Selective Decontamination of the Tract.

SDD is an antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent severe infections that has been proved to reduce inflammation; there is now evidence that SDD using parenteral and enteral antimicrobials reduces rather than increases antimicrobial resistance. Latest results are here taken into account; 10 new randomised controlled trials and 2 recent meta-analyses with endpoints of multiple organ failure and resistance. The outbreak chapter is substantially reduced and builds on the previous issue; it now includes polyclonality within outbreaks.

This up-to-date and comprehensive study will be welcomed by intensive care specialists, clinical microbiologists, infection disease specialists and clinical pharmacists who wish to learn about the most recent discoveries and advances in infection control. It will also be of interest to advanced undergraduates wanting to learn more about the subject.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword-Preface-Section 1 Essentials in Clinical Microbiology: Glossary of terms and definitions-Carriage, colonization, infection-Classification of micro-organisms-Classification of ICU infection-Gut Microbiology: Surveillance Samples for the Detection of the Abnormal Carrier State in Overgrowth-Section 2 Antimicrobials: Systemic antibiotics-Systemic Antifungals-Enteral antimicrobials-Section 3 Infection Control: Evidence-based infection control in the ICU-Devices policies-Antibiotic Policies in the Intensive Care Unit-Outbreaks of infection in the ICU-Selective decontamination of the digestive tract- Section 4 Infections on ICU: Lower airway infection-Bloodstream infection in the ICU-Infections of peritoneum, mediastinum, pleura, wounds and urinary tract-Infection on the NICU and PICU-Early adequate antibiotic therapy-ICU for transplantation-Clinical virology in NICU, PICU and adult ICU-AIDS patients on ICU-Therapy of infection in the IC-Section 5 Special topics: The gut in the critically ill: central organ in abnormal microbiological carriage, infections, systemic inflammation, microcirculatory failure and MODS-Non-antibiotic measures to control ventilator-associated pneumonia-Impact of nutritional route on infections: parenteral versus enteral-Gut mucosal protection in the critically ill patient towards an integrated clinical strategy-Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract: The Role of the Pharmacist-Antimicrobial resistance-ICU acquired infection: mortality, morbidity and costs- Evidence-based medicine in ICU.