title: Infection prevention in patients with severe multiple trauma with the immunomodulator beta 1-3 polyglucose (glucan).
abstract: In a effect to prevent nosocomial pneumonia and sepsis, we treated patients with severe multiple trauma with an immunomodulator--beta 1-3 polyglucose (glucan). Forty-one patients with no infection at admission were stratified using Trauma Score and included in a randomized double-blind controlled trial. They were divided into a control group (n = 20) and a glucan group (n = 21). Pneumonia occurred in 11 of 20 patients in the control group and in two of 21 recipients of glucan (p < 0.01). Sepsis occurred in seven of 20 patients in the control group and in two of 21 patients treated with glucan (p < 0.05). Considering patients with pneumonia and sepsis, a decrease was observed in nosocomial infection from 65.0 to 14.4 percent (p < 0.001). The mortality rate related to infection was 30.0 percent in patients in the control group and 4.8 percent in the group treated with glucan (p < 0.05). The general mortality rate, cerebral deaths excluded, was 42.1 percent in the control group and 23.5 percent in the glucan group.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Arthur Ribeiro de Saboya, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Felippe Júnior
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: da Rocha e Silva Júnior
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: A de M
authors.initials: Ade M
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Mendes
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005936:Glucans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047071:beta-Glucans
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D005936:Glucans; D047071:beta-Glucans; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan