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Impact of selective decontamination of the digestive tract on fungal carriage and infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Intensive Care Medicine volume 31, pages 898–910 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To determine the impact of the antifungal component of selective decontamination of the digestive tract on fungal carriage, infection and fungaemia.

Design

Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of selective decontamination of the digestive tract

Study selection

Data sources included Medline, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, previous meta-analyses, personal communications and conference proceedings, without restriction of language or publication status. All randomized trials were selected that compared oropharyngeal and/or intestinal administration of antifungals amphotericin B or nystatin, as part of selective decontamination protocol, with no treatment in the controls. There were 42 randomized controlled trials with a total of 6,075 critically ill patients.

Methods

Three reviewers independently applied selection criteria, performed quality assessment and extracted the data. The main outcome measures were patients with fungal carriage, patients with fungal infections and patients with fungaemia. Odds ratios were pooled with the random effect model.

Measurements and results

Enteral antifungals significantly reduced fungal carriage (odds ratio 0.32, 95% confidence interval 0.19–0.53) and overall fungal infections (0.30, 0.17–0.53). Fungaemia was not significantly reduced in the treatment group (0.89, 0.16–4.95).

Conclusions

Antifungals, as part of selective decontamination of the digestive tract, reduce fungal carriage and infection but not fungaemia in critically ill patients and may justify the inclusion of an antifungal component in the decontamination protocol.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Dr. M.A. de la Cal and Dr. K. Thorburn for carefully reviewing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency, Unit of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Presidio Ospedaliero di Gorizia, Via Vittorio Veneto 171, 34170, Gorizia, Italy

    Luciano Silvestri

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Liverpool, Daulby Street, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK

    Hendrik K. F. van Saene

  3. Department of Emergency, Unit of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Presidio Ospedaliero di Gorizia, Via Vittorio Veneto 171, 34170, Gorizia, Italy

    Marco Milanese

  4. Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Turin, Via Santena, 10100, Turin, Italy

    Dario Gregori

Authors
  1. Luciano Silvestri
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  2. Hendrik K. F. van Saene
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  3. Marco Milanese
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  4. Dario Gregori
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Correspondence to Luciano Silvestri.

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Silvestri, L., van Saene, H.K.F., Milanese, M. et al. Impact of selective decontamination of the digestive tract on fungal carriage and infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Intensive Care Med 31, 898–910 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-005-2654-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-005-2654-9

Keywords

  • Antibiotic prophylaxis
  • Antifungal agents
  • Carriage
  • Selective decontamination