Abstract

PEREZ-PEDRERO, M.J.; SANCHEZ-CASADO, M.  and  RODRIGUEZ-VILLAR, S.. Nebulized colistin treatment of multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii pulmonary infection in critical ill patients. Med. Intensiva [online]. 2011, vol.35, n.4, pp.226-231. ISSN 0210-5691.

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of nebulized colistin in the microbiological eradication and clinical improvement of patients with pulmonary infection by multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MAB). Design: A retrospective study. Setting: Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary hospital. Patients: Hospitalized patients on invasive mechanical ventilation with positive MAB cultures of the airway. Interventions: All received treatment with colistin (CL). Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) or Tracheobronchitis (TB) was determined according to routine criteria and colonization (CO) was determined in the case of a positive culture in the absence of infection criteria. Three groups of patients were defined: those treated with nebulized CL, those treated with IV CL and those treated with IV CL plus nebulized CL. Main measurements: Baseline characteristics. Microbiological eradication and clinical recovery were evaluated according to routine criteria. Results: 83 patients were studied, 54 of whom were treated, with the following diagnoses: 15 (27.8%) with NP, 16 (29.6%) with TB and 23 patients (42.6%) with CO. Nebulized CL was used in 36 patients (66.7%): 66.7% of which for CO, 33.3% in treatment for TB and in no case of NP. In 61.1% of the patients, IV CL was used: 22.2% of which for CO, 38.9% for TB and 38.9% in NP. The combination of IV CL and nebulized CL was used in 15 patients (27.8%): 5 patients (33.3%) CO, 2 patients (13.3%) TB and 8 patients (53.3%) NP. Microbiological eradication was achieved in 32 patients (59.3%), with the following distribution: 8 (47.1%) with IV CL, 15 (83.3%) with nebulized CL and 9 patients (69.2%) with a combination of IV CL and nebulized CL. Clinical recovery was achieved in 42 patients (77.8%): 12 (80%) with IV CL, 18 (94.7%) with nebulized CL and 12 (85.7%) with a combination of nebulized and IV CL. These differences were not significant. In the group of patients with infection due to TB and NP (31 patients, 57.4%), microbiological eradication was achieved in 5 patients (100%) treated with nebulized CL and in 6 of the 9 patients (42.9%) treated with IV CL, the difference being significant (P<.05). Clinical recovery in this group was 100% (6 patients) treated with nebulized CL and 75% (9 of the 12 patients) in the IV CL group. This difference was not significant. Conclusions: Our study suggests that treatment with colistin in patients with pulmonary infection with multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii could be more efficient if it were to be administrated solely nebulized or in combination with IV colistin rather than administered solely intravenously.

Keywords : Colistin; Nebulized colistin; Multi-resistant germs; Acinetobacter baumannii.

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