Positive-end expiratory pressure reduces incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in nonhypoxemic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect on clinical outcomes of prophylactic positive end expiratory pressure in nonhypoxemic ventilated patients. DESIGN: Multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: One trauma and two general intensive care units in two university hospitals. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-one mechanically ventilated patients with normal chest radiograph and PaO2/FiO2 above 250. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly allocated to receive mechanical ventilation with 5-8 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) (PEEP group, n = 66) or no-PEEP (control group, n = 65). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Primary end-point variable was hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included microbiologically confirmed ventilator-associated pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, barotrauma, atelectasis, and hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 <175). Both groups were similar at randomization in demographic characteristics, intensive care unit admission diagnoses, severity of illness, and risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia. Hospital mortality rate was similar (p = 0.58) between PEEP (29.7%) and control (25.4%) groups. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was detected in 16 (25.4%) patients in the control group and 6 (9.4%) in the PEEP group (relative risk, 0.37; 95% confidence interval = 0.15-0.84; p = 0.017). The number of patients who developed hypoxemia was significantly higher in the control group (34 of 63 patients, 54%) than in the PEEP group (12 of 64, 19%) (p < 0.001), and the hypoxemia developed after a shorter period (median [interquartile range]) in the control group than in the PEEP group (38 [20-70] hrs vs. 77 [32-164] hrs, p < 0.001). Groups did not significantly differ in incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (14% in controls vs. 5% in the PEEP group, p = 0.08), barotrauma (8% vs. 2%, respectively, p = 0.12), or atelectasis (27% vs. 19%, respectively, p = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that application of prophylactic PEEP in nonhypoxemic ventilated patients reduces the number of hypoxemia episodes and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

[Candiduria in patients with urethral catheter admitted in Intensive Care Unit. Etiology and in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole]. / Candiduria en pacientes con sonda uretral ingresados en una unidad de cuidados intensivos. Etiología y sensibilidad in vitro al fluconazol.

BACKGROUND: The isolation of Candida species in urine in patients admitted in intensive care units who bear a vesical catheter is considered as a sign of bad prognosis. The etiological mechanisms and the appropriateness of administering an antifungal treatment in these patients is controversial. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The prevalence of Candida species in urine and the in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole by means of the E-test were determined in 560 patients admitted in an intensive care unit. RESULTS: In 60 patients (11%) Candida species was isolated in urine after catheter replacement. 56.7% of isolates corresponded toC. albicans, 21.7% to C. glabrata, 15% to C.tropicalis, 5% to C. parapsilosis and 1.7% to C.kefyr. Only two isolates (C. albicans and C. glabrata)had a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) >= 64 microgram/ml (which was regarded as resistant) and 91% of strains had a MIC between 0.125 and 8 microgram/ml. MIC 90% for C. albicans and C. tropicalis was 1 microgram/ml,while it was 16 microgram/ml for C. glabrata. C. albicans is the most frequent species isolated in urine in these patients. However,over 40% of cases are found to have non-albicans species,especially C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. The majority of Candida isolates (91%) are sensitive in vitro to fluconazole.