title: Infection in the critically ill--questions we should be asking.
abstract: Best practice in infection control and management in the critically ill continues to generate considerable debate. The wide variation in current practice is witness to this continuing uncertainty. In large part this is due to the lack of a decent evidence base and to an over-reliance on deep-set dogma. Data that go against the grain are often conveniently overlooked and political imperatives frequently supervene. This article highlights some of these discrepancies and argues for a more balanced, scientific approach. In this time of financial restraint, we need to identify true priorities from both health and economic perspectives, and to see what practices can safely and effectively be modified or abandoned.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Euston Road, London, UK.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Prowle
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heenen
authors.forename: Mervyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singer
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D016638:Critical Illness; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents