Medical advances continue to improve the prognosis of patients with cancer and other immunodeficiencies. In the past 50 years, the field of transplantation has greatly affected the management of patients with cancer and renal, cardiac, and liver diseases. Moreover, advances…
Infectious endocarditis: General information Infectious endocarditis (IE) is a rare disease with a yearly crude incidence of 1.5–11.6 episodes per 100,000 persons (3–9/100,00 in developed countries), increasing dramatically with advanced age and male sex and with varying epidemiology between high-…
Infections of the head and neck range in severity from minor to life threatening. A scoring system reflecting the need for hospitalization of such patients has been proposed. The intensivist is called upon to manage such patients either when they…
Infections are a leading cause of admission to intensive care units (ICUs). Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are both the primary cause of admission to the ICU and a complication that develops for patients with other critical illnesses. A…
Central nervous system (CNS) infections represent life-threatening conditions that require emergent evaluation and frequently treatment in a critical care unit. These infections may be challenging to identify, as numerous noninfectious conditions mimic CNS infections. Even when an infectious syndrome is…
Infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) contribute significantly to patient morbidity. Depending on the type of ICU, nosocomial infections may account for 70% of infections. Nosocomial infections of the urogenital tract are frequent and sometimes underestimated in the ICU.…
Incidence Septic shock is a form of acute circulatory shock that occurs secondary to severe infection. The incidence of septic shock may be rising, partly related to medical progress that allows individuals to survive longer, resulting in increased numbers of…
Introduction Intravascular catheters are essential in the care of critically ill patients in order to allow safe intravenous administration of medications, help in the monitoring of hemodynamic parameters, and aid in the intravenous administration of fluid resuscitation. In European intensive…
Infections acquired in the intensive care unit (ICU) often occur during the treatment of critically ill patients, increasing their morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. , Several studies suggest that the use of prophylactic antibiotic regimens such as selective decontamination of…
Infections caused by anaerobic bacteria are common and may be serious and life-threatening. Anaerobes are predominant components of the bacterial flora of the normal human skin and mucous membranes and are a common cause of endogenous bacterial infections. Because of…