NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS

"Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract" (SDD) for prevention of nosocomial infections

• Use of nonabsorbable oral antibiotics to hospitalized patients to prevent enteral acquisition of nosocomial pathogens.
• In a unblinded, randomized trial with 934 pts in a medical-surgical ICU, a SDD protocol (Cefotaxime IV x 4d plus oral polymixin E-tobramycin-amphotericin B for length of ICU stay), the SDD protocol was ass'd with sig. lower in-hospital mortality (24% vs. 31%), sig. shorter ICU stays, and sig. less use of additional abx during hospitalization (Lancet 362:1011, 2003--JW)