INFECTIONS IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS - EXPERIENCE IN MICU AT A MAJORTEACHING HOSPITAL

During a one-year period 105 patients suffering a total of 134 infecti ous episodes were studied prospectively in the medical intensive care unit (MICU). These patients included 54 male and 51 female patients, a ge ranging from 14 to 100 years (median = 54 years). The overall incid ence of infection was 46.7%. Infections acquired in medical wards acco unted for 47.8% of the total, followed by community-acquired infection s in 27.0%, and MICU-acquired infections in 25.2% of the cases. The mo st frequent infections were pneumonia and septicaemia accounting for 8 8% of the total, whereas urinary tract (4.4%), gastrointestinal tract (5.0%), skin and wound infections (2.5%) constituted only 11.5%. The p athogens mainly involved were gram-negative rods, Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus pneumoniae. However, in community-acquired pneumonia , the major pathogens were gram-negative rods. In addition, Mycobacter ium tuberculosis was an important cause of pneumonia in these patients . The majority of patients had a monoinfection; multiple pathogens wer e isolated in 11.9% of the episodes. The overall mortality was 46.7%. Several factors that influenced the mortality in these patients were a nalyzed. Early recognition of these factors may reduce morbidity and m ortality.