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2.5 - General Principles of Obtaining Appropriate Microbiological Samples and Interpretation of Results

from Section 2 - Diagnosis, Assessment, Investigation, Monitoring and Data Interpretation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

By
Tom Bottomley
Edited by
Ned Gilbert-Kawai ,
Debashish Dutta  and
Carl Waldmann
Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
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Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. Infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the ICU.

  2. 2. Invasive devices commonly used in the ICU are a significant cause of nosocomial infections.

  3. 3. Replacement of indwelling devices in septic patients is guided by the clinical picture.

  4. 4. Surveillance is used to limit spread of these infections.

  5. 5. Careful specimen sampling is of utmost importance in achieving clinically relevant microbiological therapy advice.

Keywords

infectionmicrobiologyinterpretationbacteriainvestigation
Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
 , pp. 34 - 36
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

References and Further Reading

Huang, SS, Septimus, E, Kleinman, K, et al. Targeted versus universal decolonization to prevent ICU infection. N Engl J Med 2013;368:2255–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kalil, A, Metersky, ML, Klompas, M, et al. Management of adults with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia: 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Thoracic Society. Clin Infect Dis 2016;63:e61–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marchaim, D, Kaye, K. 2017. Infections and antimicrobial resistance in the intensive care unit: epidemiology and prevention. UpToDate. www.uptodate.com/contents/infections-and-antimicrobial-resistance-in-the-intensive-care-unit-epidemiology-and-preventionGoogle Scholar
O’Grady, NP, Alexander, M, Burns, LA, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections. Clin Infect Dis 2016;52:e162–93.Google Scholar

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