Infectious Diseases

As infectious diseases are very commonly seen in the ICU, this chapter covers both typical and atypical infections found in this setting. If the patient has been transferred to the ICU after a prolonged stay in the hospital, the treatment should be focused on a nosocomial infection. This chapter emphasizes that the first thing to do is to identify the organisms causing the patients’ infection, keeping in mind frequently found organisms. Pneumonia, severe adult respiratory syndrome (SARS), sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, and infections in patients with AIDS are among the most common infectious diseases treated in the ICU. An appropriate initial empiric therapy and correct treatment once cultures and susceptibility become available are crucial for a successful treatment.