Risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation or infection in intensive care units and their reliability for predicting MRSA on ICU admission.

Predicting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in intensive care units (ICUs) avoids inappropriate antimicrobial empirical treatment and enhances infection control. We describe risk factors for colonisation/infection related to MRSA (MRSA-C/I) in critically ill patients once in the ICU and on ICU admission, and search for an easy-to-use predictive model for MRSA colonisation/infection on ICU admission. This multicentre cohort study included 69,894 patients admitted consecutively (stay>24h) in April-June in the five-year period 2006-2010 from 147 Spanish ICUs participating in the National Surveillance Study of Nosocomial Infections in ICUs (ENVIN-HELICS).

[Nosocomial infections in intensive care units].

Nosocomial infections (NI) still have a high incidence in intensive care units (ICUs), and are becoming one of the most important problems in these units. It is well known that these infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients, and are associated with increases in the length of stay and excessive hospital costs. Based on the data from the ENVIN-UCI study, the rates and aetiology of the main nosocomial infections have been described, and include ventilator-associated pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and both primary and catheter related bloodstream infections, as well as the incidence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic prescription patterns in the empiric therapy of severe sepsis: combination of antimicrobials with different mechanisms of action reduces mortality.

Introduction: Although early institution of adequate antimicrobial therapy is lifesaving in sepsis patients, optimal antimicrobial strategy has not been established. Moreover, the benefit of combination therapy over monotherapy remains to be determined. Our aims are to describe patterns of empiric antimicrobial therapy in severe sepsis, assessing the impact of combination therapy, including antimicrobials with different mechanisms of action, on mortality.

[Analysis of treatments used in infections caused by gram-positive multiresistant cocci in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU].

Unlabelled: The appearance of new antimicrobials with activity against Gram-positive multiresistant cocci and knowledge of the limitations of glycopeptides has represented an important change in the use of these antibiotics.

Objective: To analyze at the national level changes in the use of antibiotics with specific activity against Gram-positive multiresistant cocci in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU as well as the characteristics of patients treated with these agents and the forms of administration.

Material And Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the ICU for more than 24 hours between 2008 and 2010 in the ENVIN-HELICS national registry.

Corticosteroid therapy in patients with primary viral pneumonia due to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza.

Objective: During the first pandemic, some patients with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza were treated with corticosteroids. The objective of this study was to assess the effect on survival of corticosteroid therapy in patients with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza.

Methods: Prospective, observational, multicenter study performed in 148 ICU.

Ward mortality after ICU discharge: a multicenter validation of the Sabadell score.

Background: Tools for predicting post-ICU patients' outcomes are scarce. A single-center study showed that the Sabadell score classified patients into four groups with clear-cut differences in ward mortality.

Objective And Design: To validate the Sabadell score using a prospective multicenter approach.