[Relevance of MRSA on a Visceral Surgical Intensive Care Unit]. / Relevanz von MRSA auf einer viszeralchirurgischen Intensivstation.

Background: Resistance to antibiotics is a worldwide increasing problem. A well-known example is methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA. What is the relevance of MRSA on a surgical ICU? Patients/Material and Methods: On a 20 bed academic SICU/intermediate care ward 14,976 patients were treated in a seven-year period. We identified only 98 MRSA-positive patients. 56 (57 %) of them were merely colonised, 42 (43 %) suffered from an MRSA infection. A control group comprised 56 similar patients without MRSA detection. Results: Patients with MRSA infection had a higher mortality rate (OR 4.18; p = 0.002), but only 4 out of 20 patients died due to the MRSA infection. APACHE 2 score of more than 20 was predictive for being colonised with MRSA (OR 3.08; p = 0.04), but it was not a risk factor for developing an MRSA infection (OR 1.03; p = 0.95). Patients with MRSA colonisation did not have a higher mortality rate than patients without. Conclusion: Outcome depended on severity of the disease, but not on the MRSA colonisation status. Patients with MRSA infection were more likely to die, but the reason of death rarely was MRSA.

[The abdominal compartment syndrome - relevance and therapeutic consequences]. / Das abdominale Kompartmentsyndrom - Relevanz und therapeutische Konsequenzen.

BACKGROUND: Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) has a high prevalence among critically ill patients. It is increasingly recognised as a risk factor for poor outcome. PATIENTS / MATERIAL AND METHODS: A review of the literature including explicit management instructions was performed. We report the standardised techniques for intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement as well as consensus definitions and treatment recommendations ranging from conservative measures to decompression laparotomy. RESULTS: The abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is defined as a sustained IAH > 20 mmHg accompanied by new organ dysfunctions. It occurs predominantly in surgical patients and is associated with a poor outcome. Organ dysfunctions related to IAH mainly concern the kidneys and -respiratory system. The mechanism of action essentially is a perfusion deficit. Clinical judgement alone does not allow a valid estimate of intra-abdominal pressure. CONCLUSION: In patients at risk the IAP should be measured. In case of IAH conservative options for lowering the pressure are mandatory. Decompression laparotomy should be considered if conservative measures fail.

[Postoperative sepsis: diagnosis, special features, management]. / Die postoperative Sepsis: Diagnose, Besonderheiten, Management.

A high level of suspicion is necessary to detect postoperative sepsis in good time. It may be difficult to differentiate sepsis from normal SIRS in the postoperative setting. Early signs and symptoms include delirium and respiratory compromise. These should trigger the search for a septic focus aggressively with special attention to the original site of surgery. Key recommendations include early goal-directed resuscitation of the septic patient, administration of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy within 1 hour of diagnosis, and source control with attention to the balance of risks and benefits of the chosen method. In cases of severe abdominal sepsis the concept of relaparotomy on-demand has become most popular.

[Effectiveness and risks of isolation precautions in patients with MRSA and other multidrug-resistant bacteria]. / Patienten mit multiresistenten Erregern: Wirksamkeit und Risiko von Isolierungsmassnahmen bei "MRSA & Co."

The transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MRSA, VRE and ESBL producing bacteria) occurs predominantly if health-care workers are not compliant with hand hygiene procedures. The impact of single-room isolation in transmission prevention is often overestimated. As long as hand disinfection is not performed before and after patient contact and gloves are not removed, a single room will not prevent transmission by -itself. Understaffing is additionally worsening the situation. There is no consistent evidence sup-port-ing strict single-room isolation even though data show supportive tendencies. Social isolation is one of the risks that should be considered as well as the economic impact of using shared rooms as a single room. Up-to-date, evidence-based standard operating procedures and individual infection control recommendations should take these considerations into account. In general, contact precautions including isolation in a single room are performed in MRSA and VRE-positive patients. If a single room cannot be provided in a given case (a common problem in intensive care units), contact precautions can be performed in a shared room as an alternative. The problem of establishing an optimal compliance with standard precautions (especially hand hygiene) throughout all professional groups should be addressed. Additional precautions, including single-room isolation, should be implemented critically if indicated.

[Patient assignment to a surgical intensive care unit - plea for a preoperative risk stratification]. / Belegungsdynamik einer chirurgischen Intensivstation - Plädoyer für eine präoperative Stratifizierung von elektiven chirurgischen Patienten.

BACKGROUND: Surgical intensive care units (ICUs) have to meet the demands of caring for elective surgical patients, for surgical emergencies, and for trauma patients. To achieve this a high flexibility and a high rate of admissions and discharges are needed. ICU beds are scant and expensive, so who is to be admitted? PATIENTS AND METHODS: All admissions and dis-charges of a 20-bed surgical ICU in a university hospital within one year have been analysed. RESULTS: During the analysed year 2524 patients were admitted to the surgical ICU (6.9 + or - 3.1 per day). Of 1886 planned admissions (elective surgery) only 1234 were eventually admitted, but there were 1290 additional patients admitted as emergencies. Of all realised admissions only 49 % were planned. In 653 requested but refused elective admissions, the surgery was performed with-out intensive care admission in 432 patients (64.9 %). CONCLUSIONS: Half of the patients of the surgical ICU are electively surgical, half of them are emergencies. The limited number of ICU beds requires strict indications for admission. It turns out to be useful to create a category of patients in whom postoperative intensive care is desirable but not mandatory.

[Postoperative management of patients with BMI > 40 kg / m2]. / Postoperatives Management bei Patienten mit einem BMI > 40 kg / m2.

Bariatric surgery, especially in the morbidly obese, can be associated with serious postoperative problems. Apart from surgical complications requiring reoperation, pre-existing disease can worsen during the postoperative period. Bariatric patients require particular therapeutic approaches such as adapted fluid and pain management, management of obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnea, early ambulation and measures for preventing pressure ulcers. Another challenging issue is the early identification and management of postoperative intraabdominal sepsis (IAS) before the onset of organ dysfunction. Early and frequent ambulation is thought to reduce risk of pressure ulcers, deep vein thrombosis, resedation, pain, pneumonia and atelectasis. To prevent spine injury of health care workers it is necessary to provide appropriate support with special beds, lifting and transfer devices.

Successful multimodal therapy of invasive pulmonary and central nervous system aspergillosis in a neutropenic surgical patient: case report and review of the literature.

Invasive aspergillosis predominantly occurs in patients with impaired host defence and is often resistant to different therapeutically strategies. However, mortality significantly increases if the central nervous system is affected. In this report, we describe a case of successful treatment of invasive aspergillosis with cerebral involvement. The treatment consists of a medication of voriconazole and lipid-associated amphotericin B as well as a stereotactic neurosurgical procedure to drain an intracranial abscess.

[Identification of surgical patients for therapy with activated Drotrecogin alfa]. / Identifikation chirurgischer patienten für die therapie mit aktiviertem Drotrecogin alfa.

There is uncertainty whether surgical patients with severe sepsis have a benefit from therapy with Drotrecogin alfa (activated). In the PROWESS and ENHANCE studies 4,068 patients were included and 3,228 were treated with Drotrecogin alfa (activated). Approximately 28% of the PROWESS patients and 41% of the ENHANCE patients were surgical patients. The subgroup of surgical patients showed the same benefit from therapy with Drotrecogin alfa (activated) as the overall cohort. The relative risk was 0.9 (95% CI 0.7-1.25, absolute risk reduction 3.2%). Patients with intraabdominal infections have a special benefit and here the relative risk was 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-1.0, absolute risk reduction 9.1%). Serious bleeding was more frequent in patients treated with Drotrecogin alfa (activated): 2.4-3.6% vs. 1.0% in the placebo group. In surgical patients bleeding was not more frequent than in non-surgical patients (3.1% vs. 2.1%, difference not significant). Surgical patients with severe sepsis, especially with peritonitis, should receive therapy with Drotrecogin alfa (activated), if severely ill.

Time course and interrelation of reperfusion-induced ST changes and ventricular arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction.

With the increasing use of thrombolytic therapy, the presence and time course of reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias and ST-segment changes have become of particular interest. Technical improvements in bipolar Holter monitoring offer the opportunity to record both parameters continuously and simultaneously. Time course and interaction of both parameters in dependence on the onset of thrombolysis and time of reperfusion were investigated in 30 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Reperfusion was achieved in 20 patients after 49 +/- 23 minutes and in another 2 patients after 120 minutes (73%, group A). Vascular occlusion persisted in 8 patients for greater than 24 hours (group B). Sudden ST-segment changes (greater than 0.2 mV/15 min) in the bipolar leads indicated reperfusion in 7 of 22 patients (32%). Idioventricular rhythms, most frequent in reperfused patients (group A: 18 of 22 patients, mean 121 beats/hour), were unspecific reperfusion markers (group B: 5 of 8 patients, 1 beat/hour) unless frequent (p less than 0.05) or longer lasting, repetitive (p less than 0.01) episodes were considered. Premature ventricular beats and couplets (p less than 0.05) were also most frequent in group A (peak frequency 3 to 5 hours after thrombolysis). Ventricular tachycardia observed in 21 of 22 patients (95%) in group A and in 3 of 8 (38%) in group B (p less than 0.01) attained their peak frequency 7 to 9 hours after thrombolysis. They occurred most often in anterior myocardial infarction and were often preceded by frequent singular premature beats (r = 0.78).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)