Year in review 2009: Critical Care--infection.
In 2009 Critical Care provided important and clinically relevant research data for management and prevention of infections in critically ill patients. The present review summarises the results of these observational studies and clinical trials and discusses them in the context of the current relevant scientific and clinical background. In particular, we discuss recent epidemiologic data on nosocomial infections in intensive care units, present new approaches to prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia, describe recent advances in biomarker-guided antibiotic stewardship and attempt to briefly summarise specific challenges related to the management of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms and influenza A (H1N1).
Infection Control Program, Geneva University Hospitals and Medical School, 4 rue G-P-G, CH-1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. stephan.harbarth@hcuge.ch
Stephan
S
Harbarth
Thomas
T
Haustein
D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000639:trends