Tools for assessing and treating serious infections
Marin H. Kollef, MD
Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Chair in Respiratory Intensive Care Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit
Director, Respiratory Care Services
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
St. Louis, Missouri
Several tools are available to help clinicians determine the best treatment options for a serious infection. These include general measures of disease severity such as APACHE and infection-specific scores such as the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI). These tools are useful in triaging patients either to a hospital ward or to the intensive care unit (ICU). To assist in selecting antibiotic therapy, it may be helpful to establish a protocol that permits identification of patient-related risk factors for infection with resistant bacteria and provides for the assessment of culture results. In addition, algorithms with biomarkers such as procalcitonin are being studied. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that appropriate initial antibiotic therapy is selected and the patient has a good clinical response.
Tools for assessing and treating serious infections
Marin H. Kollef, MD
Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Chair in Respiratory Intensive Care Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit
Director, Respiratory Care Services
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
St. Louis, Missouri
Several tools are available to help clinicians determine the best treatment options for a serious infection. These include general measures of disease severity such as APACHE and infection-specific scores such as the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI). These tools are useful in triaging patients either to a hospital ward or to the intensive care unit (ICU). To assist in selecting antibiotic therapy, it may be helpful to establish a protocol that permits identification of patient-related risk factors for infection with resistant bacteria and provides for the assessment of culture results. In addition, algorithms with biomarkers such as procalcitonin are being studied. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that appropriate initial antibiotic therapy is selected and the patient has a good clinical response.
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