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. 2011;15(2):R79.
doi: 10.1186/cc10072. Epub 2011 Mar 2.

Impact of de-escalation therapy on clinical outcomes for intensive care unit-acquired pneumonia

Mi Kyong Joung  1 , Jeong-a Lee, Soo-Youn Moon, Hae Suk Cheong, Eun-Jeong Joo, Young-Eun Ha, Kyung Mok Sohn, Seung Min Chung, Gee Young Suh, Doo Ryeon Chung, Jae-Hoon Song, Kyong Ran Peck
Affiliations

Impact of de-escalation therapy on clinical outcomes for intensive care unit-acquired pneumonia

Mi Kyong Joung et al. Crit Care. 2011.

Abstract

Introduction: De-escalation therapy is a strategy currently used for the management of nosocomial pneumonia. In this study, we evaluated clinical outcomes and risk factors related to de-escalation therapy in patients with intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational cohort study of ICU patients who developed pneumonia more than 48 hours after admission to the ICU at Samsung Medical Center from September 2004 to December 2007.

Results: The 137 patients comprised 44 (32.1%) who received de-escalation therapy and 93 in the non-de-escalation group. The de-escalation group showed a lower pneumonia-related mortality rate than the non-de-escalation group by day 14 (2.3% vs. 10.8%, respectively; P = 0.08) and by day 30 (2.3% vs. 14%, respectively; P = 0.03) after the diagnosis of pneumonia. The variables independently associated with ICU-acquired pneumonia-related mortality included the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score and the modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) after 5 days with pneumonia. The non-de-escalation group had significantly higher APACHE II score and modified CPIS after 5 days with ICU-acquired pneumonia compared to the de-escalation group. Among all patients, 20.4% (28 of 137) had negative cultures for pathogens, and 42.9% (12 of 28) received de-escalation therapy. The latter 12 patients received de-escalation therapy and survived 30 days after the diagnosis of pneumonia.

Conclusions: Patients in the de-escalation group showed a significantly lower mortality rate compared to patients in the non-de-escalation group. De-escalation therapy can be safely provided to patients with ICU-acquired pneumonia if they are clinically stable by day 5, even in those whose respiratory specimen cultures yield no specific pathogens.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pneumonia-related mortality between the de-escalation group and the non-de-escalation groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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