SELECTIVE DIGESTIVE DECONTAMINATION IN MULTIPLE TRAUMA PATIENTS - COST AND EFFICACY

A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and the cost of selective digestive decontaminat ion (SDD) to prevent nosocomial pneumonia in multiple-trauma patients. Nosocomial infections, particularly pneumonia, were mere frequent in the placebo group. The most common infectious agent was Staphylococcus : Staphylococcus aureus in the placebo group and Staphylococcus epider midis in the SDD group. Methicillin-resistant. Staphylococcus epidermi dis was detected more often in the SDD group. No methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was observed in this study. Fewer patients in t he SDD group required antibiotherapy. SDD resulted in a saving of abou t 41% in drug expenditure.