Effects of antimicrobial prophylaxis and blood stream infections in patients with acute liver failure: a retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

We investigated whether antimicrobial prophylaxis alters the incidence of bloodstream infection in patients with acute liver failure (ALF), and whether bloodstream infections affect overall mortality within 21 days after development of ALF.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of 1551 patients with ALF enrolled by the US Acute Liver Failure Study Group from January 1998 through November 2009. We analyzed data on infections in the first 7 days after admission and the effects of prophylaxis with antimicrobial drugs on the development of bloodstream infections and 21-day mortality.

Results

In our study population, 600 patients (39%) received antimicrobial prophylaxis and 226 patients (14.6%) developed at least 1 bloodstream infection. Ex

SUBMITTER: Karvellas CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4205208 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature