Opportunistic Infections in Critical Care Units

Abstract

The value of intensive care units for newborn infants, medical and pediatric patients, and surgical patients both during the immediate recovery period and following trauma has been amply demonstrated. Due to the critical nature of the illness and the need for frequent and virtually continuous attention by various categories of personnel, there is increased opportunity for transfer of infection between patients and from personnel to patients as well. The type of equipment employed—with frequent use of catheters, inhalation-therapy equipment, and various monitoring devices—also offers increased opportunities for nosocomial infection to develop. To further complicate the situation for the patient, these patients are often those with impaired host defense, due both to the underlying disease and to the antimicrobial or other forms of therapy employed. Due to these multiple problems and factors, relatively small numbers of organisms of comparatively low virulence often produce disastrous opportunistic infections.