VIEWPOINT - SURVIVAL BENEFIT BY SELECTIVE DECONTAMINATION OF THE DIGESTIVE-TRACT (SDD)

Morbidity and mortality due to infection acquired either before or aft er admission to the intensive care unit is still a major problem. A li mited range of potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPM) are involve d, and infection with these PPM usually follows a predictable pattern. Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) should be inve stigated further in patients with primarily curable diseases who are n ot infected on admission to intensive care but become infected there ( Infect Control Epidemiol 1994;15:443-446).