ISSN:
1432-1440
Keywords:
Immunoglobulin therapy
;
Severe infections
;
Intensive care patients
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on the effects of immunoglobulin in therapy for infections in 104 intensive care patients. At the first sign of infection, one group of 50 patients received an i.v. preparation of immunoglobulin (4×100 ml) combined with antibiotics. The other 54 control patients received antibiotics alone. The most common infections in these patients were pneumonia, septicemia, peritonitis and wound sepsis. Infections were significantly seldom the cause of death, especially in patients with high-risk surgery who had been treated with immunoglobulin (p≤0.05). Likewise ventilation time in the high-risk surgery group averaged only 5.5 days for those receiving immunoglobulin as opposed to 12.7 days in controls (p≤0.01). Whereas the control group, in particular patients with pneumonia, remained in intensive care an average of 21.5 days, those receiving immunoglobulin stayed only 14.8 days (p≤0.01). In general, patients treated with immunoglobulin recovered more rapidly from infections than did controls (p≤0.01).
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01711930
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