Trauma patients requiring treatment on the intensive care unit (ICU) need antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent pneumonia

摘要

We read the Stockholm study by Hyllienmark et al. on the magnitude of pneumonia in trauma patients requiring treatment on the intensive care unit (ICU) and micro-organisms involved.1 One quarter of the patients developed pneumonia and the causative micro-organisms were potential pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) both normal (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Staphylococcus aureus) and abnormal [aerobic Gram-negative bacilli (AGNB) such as Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas species]. Remarkably, these recent and valid data are in line with the landmark Dutch paper published by Stoutenbeek et al. 30 years ago.2 In that paper, after identifying the pneumonia rate and causative micro-organisms, they argued for prophylaxis of pneumonia in trauma patients.