Chest
Volume 109, Issue 3, March 1996, Pages 765-772
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Clinical Investigations in Critical Care
Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract in Multiple Trauma Patients: A Prospective Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.109.3.765Get rights and content

Study objective

The aims of the study were to evaluate the technique of selective digestion decontamination (SDD) in preventing the development of nosocomial infections in a selected population and to assess the effects on colonization of the oropharynx, nares, and bronchi. A financial assessment was also performed.

Design

Prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial using amphotericin B, colistin sulfate (polymixin E), and gentamicin applied to the nares, the oropharynx, and enterally; no parenteral antibiotics were given during the study period. The SDD was applied every 6 h during the study period.

Setting

Multidisciplinary ICU in a university hospital.

Patients

A total of 148 trauma patients admitted emergently and intubated within less than 24 h were enrolled. Seventy-two patients who received placebo and 76 treated patients were analyzed on an “intention-to-treat” basis.

Interventions

Microbiologic surveillance samples of oropharyngeal and bronchial secretions, urine, and any other potentially infected sites were taken at the time of ICU admission and twice weekly thereafter until discharge from the unit.

Measurements and results

With the use of SDD, colonization was significantly reduced in the oropharynx and nares (p<0.05) but not in bronchi. However, episodes of bronchopneumonia were significantly reduced (19 in the active group vs 37 in the placebo group; p<0.01).

Staphylococcus aureus

remained the main potential pathogen causing bronchial colonization and subsequent bronchopneumonia. There was no reduction in the incidence of other infections. Days in the ICU, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality rate were unchanged. After the use of SDD, Gram-positive colonization tended to increase and this was mainly due to methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci. The total cost of antibiotic therapy ($62,117 [US] in the placebo group and $36,008 in the SDD group) was decreased by 42% with the use of SDD. Clinically important complications of SDD were not encountered.

Conclusions

The use of SDD in this population of trauma patients reduced the incidence of bronchopneumonia and the total charge for antibiotics. Stay in the ICU, mechanical ventilation duration, and mortality rate were unchanged. Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci were selected by SDD in some patients and the clinical relevance of this colonization needs further evaluation.

Section snippets

Patients

Multiple trauma patients admitted to the ICU, intubated within 24 h, were enrolled by the staff physicians in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion. Randomization was performed by the hospital's pharmacists according to a randomized list of consecutive treatment assignments. The study received approval of the Ethics Committee of the University of Marseilles and informed consents were obtained from the patients' families. Criteria for exclusion were age younger than

Results

During the study period, 393 trauma patients were admitted to the ICU, of whom 148 were enrolled in the study and were analyzed on an “intention-to-treat” basis. Their demographic features are shown in Table 1.

Both groups were similar with respect to age, sex ratio, ISS, GCS, SAPS, duration of mechanical ventilation, and duration of ICU stay. The regimen was given for 7.3 ± 5.6 days in the placebo group and 7.1 ± 5.7 days in the treated group. Primary diagnoses of patients on ICU admission were

Discussion

This study of SDD in multiple trauma patients shows a significant reduction of the number of episodes of bronchopneumonia and a reduction in the total charge for antibiotics. There was no reduction in the incidence of other infections. Days in the ICU, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality were similar in both groups. Colonization by MRCNS tended to increase in the treated group.

The use of SDD with combined oral nonabsorbable and systemic antibiotics was first reported by

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    revision accepted October 20.

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