Failure of infection control in intensive care units: can sucralfate improve the situation?

Abstract

Conventional infection control measures in intensive care units (ICUs) are aimed primarily at stemming cross-infections. The role of patients' endogenous flora in the pathogenesis of nosocomial infection and occasional lapses in aseptic technique in ICUs help to explain the frequent failure of the conventional approaches. Newer control strategies include avoiding gastric and oropharyngeal overgrowth of gram-negative bacilli by using sucralfate to avoid gastric alkalinization and/or suppressing nosocomial flora by use of topical antimicrobials.