Prevention of infection in the intensive care unit: current advances and opportunities for the future

Recent studies have contributed to our understanding of the risk factors and the impact of nosocomial infections in the ICU, allowing a more rational approach to the prevention of such infections. Ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and outbreaks all occur in the presence of artificial devices. High antibiotic pressure, prolonged hospitalization, and the presence of comorbidities facilitate the selection of multiresistant strains in the ICU setting. In clinical practice, prevention is the more effective investment to reduce costs. Potential measures of control should focus on the patient, the microorganisms, and the device. A number of recent studies addressing these issues have been published and will be reviewed in this article.