الفهرس 
infections in ICUOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Appropriate antibiotic therapy can have many benefits for patients with nosocomial infections; decreased rates of mortality, shorter stay in the ICU, decreased risk of the development of antimicrobial resistance, and decreased hospital costs. Appropriate therapy can be achieved by using potent, broad-spectrum, empiric therapy without delay. Once the infecting organism has been identified the initially prescribed treatment can be reviewed and tailored. The antibiotics used most often in the ICU include aminoglycosides, penicillins, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, carbapenes, vancomycin and antifungal agents. There has been a rapid rise in the rate of resistance among bacterial pathogens recovered in ICUs. A report from the NNIS System noted significant increases in the recovery of the following multidrug-resistant pathogens in United States ICUs in 1999 VRE, MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to Imipenem or Fluoroquinolones, Enterobacteriaceae resistant to third generation Cephalosporins. There are three main clinical endpoints for controlling infection in the ICU: (1) reduce high infection rates, (2) maintain low infection rates, and (3) control antibiotic resistance. Universally agreed infection control measures are basic hygiene standards, including hand hygiene, patient isolation, appropriate glove and gown usage, care of equipment, and standards for environmental cleanliness.