Is Selective Digestive Decontamination Useful for Critically Ill Patients?

Ecological effects of selective oral decontamination on multidrug-resistance bacteria acquired in the intensive care unit: a case-control study over 5 years

Purpose

This case–control study investigated the long-term evolution of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) over a 5-year period associated with the use of selective oropharyngeal decontamination (SOD) in the intensive care unit (ICU). In addition, effects on health care-associated infections and ICU mortality were analysed.

Methods

We investigated patients undergoing mechanical ventilation > 48 h in 11 adult ICUs located at 3 campuses of a university hospital. Administrative, clinical, and microbiological data which were routinely recorded electronically served as the basis. We analysed differences in the rates and incidence densities (ID, cases per 1000 patient-days) of MDRB associated with SOD use in all patients and stratified by patient origin (outpatient or inpatient). After propensity score matching, health-care infections and ICU mortality were compared.

Results

5034 patients were eligible for the study. 1694 patients were not given SOD. There were no differences in the incidence density of MDRB when SOD was used, except for more vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (0.72/1000 days vs. 0.31/1000 days, p < 0.01), and fewer ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (0.22/1000 days vs. 0.56/1000 days, p < 0.01). After propensity score matching, SOD was associated with lower incidence rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia and death in the ICU but not with ICU-acquired bacteremia or urinary tract infection.

Conclusions

Comparisons of the ICU-acquired MDRB over a 5-year period revealed no differences in incidence density, except for lower rate of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and higher rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium with SOD. Incidence rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia and death in the ICU were lower in patients receiving SOD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00134-022-06826-7.

Nutrition and the gut microbiome during critical illness: A new insight of nutritional therapy

Changes in the microbiome in response to environmental influences can affect the overall health. Critical illness is considered one of the major environmental factors that can potentially influence the normal gut homeostasis. It is associated with pathophysiological effects causing damage to the intestinal microbiome. Alteration of intestinal microbial composition during critical illness may subsequently compromise the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier and intestinal mucosa absorptive function. Many factors can impact the microbiome of critically ill patients including ischemia, hypoxia and hypotension along with the iatrogenic effects of therapeutic agents and the lack of enteral feeds. Factors related to disease state and medication are inevitable and they are part of the intensive care unit (ICU) exposure. However, a nutritional intervention targeting gut microbiota might have the potential to improve clinical outcomes in the critically ill population given the extensive vascular and lymphatic links between the intestines and other organs. Although nutrition is considered an integral part of the treatment plan of critically ill patients, still the role of nutritional intervention is restricted to improve nitrogen balance. What is dismissed is whether the nutrients we provide are adequate and how they are processed and utilised by the host and the microbiota. Therefore, the goal of nutrition therapy during critical illness should be extended to provide good quality feeds with balanced macronutrient content to feed up the entire body including the microbiota and host cells. The main aim of this review is to examine the current literature on the effect of critical illness on the gut microbiome and to highlight the role of nutrition as a factor affecting the intestinal microbiome-host relationship during critical illness.

Decreased duration of intravenous cephalosporins in intensive care unit patients with selective digestive decontamination: a retrospective before-and-after study

Selective digestive decontamination (SDD) reduces the rate of infection and improves the outcomes of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). A risk associated with its use is the development of multi-drug-resistant organisms. We hypothesized that a 1-day reduction in systemic antimicrobial exposure in the SDD regimen would not affect the outcomes of our patients. In this before-and-after study design, 199 patients and 248 patients were included in a 3-day SDD group and a 2-day SDD group, respectively. The rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia and ICU infections were similar in both groups. The rates of bloodstream infection and bacteriuria were significantly lower in the 2-day SDD group than in the 3-day SDD group. Compared with the patients in the 3-day group, the patients in the 2-day SDD group received fewer antibiotics and less exposure to mechanical ventilation, and they used fewer ICU resources. The rates of ICU mortality and 28-day mortality were similar in both groups. The incidence of multi-drug-resistant organisms was similar in both groups. Within the limitations inherent to our study design, reducing the exposure of prophylactic systemic antibiotics in the SDD setting from 3 days to 2 days was not associated with impaired outcomes. Future randomized controlled trials should be conducted to test this hypothesis and investigate the effects on the development of multi-drug resistant organisms.

Selective digestive decontamination in critically ill children: A survey of Canadian providers

BACKGROUND

Selective digestive decontamination of the digestive tract involves the routine administration of oral, gastric, and intravenous antibiotics to mechanically ventilated children to prevent hospital-acquired infections. It has a strong evidence base in adults, with limited pediatric evidence. Current utilization of this intervention among pediatric physicians in North America is unknown.

METHODS

An electronic survey administered to pediatric critical care and pediatric infectious disease providers in Canada. Participants were surveyed on current institutional practices, their current knowledge of the evidence base, and perceptions of the risks and benefits of the intervention. Descriptive statistics were utilized.

RESULTS

50 out of 143 (35%) surveyed responded. No hospital in Canada routinely performs SDD and the majority of respondents (74%) have neutral opinions on the subject of SDD. There was concern for increasing antibiotic resistance (43%) and some disagreement with the intravenous component of SDD (46%). The majority of respondents stated a need for pediatric-specific evidence before integrating SDD into their practice, even if further, large adult RCTs were performed.

CONCLUSION

Among surveyed providers, there is little knowledge and no use of selective digestive decontamination for the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Before interventional studies are performed in pediatric practice, there is a need for study of facilitators, barriers and acceptability of SDD in practice.