Review of available trials of selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD)

Eighteen studies on Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract (SDD) have been published up to now. A statistically significant reduction of infection rate was found in fourteen out of the fifteen controlled studies. Although all the studies were designed to evaluate infection-related morbidity as the end point, ten centres have reported fatality rates. Six centres out of the ten showed a statistically significant reduction in mortality in patients receiving SDD versus control. A recent French study describes the eradication of an outbreak of a multi-resistant Klebsiella with SDD. The Paris trial suggests a major impact of the SDD maneuver on the ICU ecology. Emergence of resistance to the SDD agents among gram-positive cocci has been described, although the clinical impact of this antibiotic side effect has not been reported so far. There are three indications for SDD, as follows: (i) trauma patients; (ii) liver transplant recipients and (iii) outbreaks of multi-resistant organisms.