Complicated Intra-abdominal Infection in Adults
Publication Date: January 15, 2010
Key Points
Key Points
Complicated intra-abdominal infections are common problems, with appendicitis alone affecting approximately 300,000 patients/year and consuming over 1 million hospital days.
Intra-abdominal infections are the second most common cause of infectious mortality in the intensive care unit.
Fluid Resuscitation
Patients should undergo rapid restoration of intravascular volume and additional measures as needed to promote physiological stability. ( A , II )
659
Initiation of Antimicrobial Therapy
Antimicrobial therapy should be initiated once a patient is diagnosed with an intra-abdominal infection, or such an infection is considered likely. For patients in septic shock, antibiotics should be administered as soon as possible. ( A , III )
659
Use of agents listed as appropriate for higher severity community-acquired infections and health care-associated infections is not recommended for patients with mild-to-moderate community-acquired infections since such regimens may carry a greater risk of toxicity and facilitate acquisition of more resistant organisms. ( B , II )
659
Antimicrobial Therapy—Community-Acquired Infection of Mild-to-Moderate Severity
Antibiotics used for empiric treatment of community acquired intra-abdominal infection should be active against enteric Gram-negative aerobic and facultative bacilli and enteric Gram-positive streptococci. ( A , I )
659
Coverage for obligate anaerobic bacilli should be provided for distal small bowel, appendiceal, and colon-derived infection and for more proximal gastrointestinal perforations in the presence of obstruction or paralytic ileus. ( A , I )
659
Antimicrobial Therapy—High Risk Community-Acquired Infection
Use of broader-spectrum agents providing activity against some Gram-negative facultative and aerobic organisms that are occasionally isolated from such patients has the potential to improve outcomes, although this hypothesis has not been rigorously examined in clinical trials.
Antimicrobial Therapy—Health Care-Associated Infection
Health care-associated infection is commonly caused by a more resistant flora, which may include the nonfermenting Gram-negative P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella and E. coli, Enterobacter species, Proteus species, MRSA, enterococci, and Candida species.
Empiric antibiotic therapy for hospital-acquired intra-abdominal infections should be driven by local microbiologic results. ( A , II )
659
Source Control
An appropriate source control procedure is recommended for nearly all patients with intra-abdominal infection.
Duration of Therapy
Antimicrobial therapy of established infections should be limited to no more than four to seven days unless it is difficult to achieve adequate source control. Longer durations of therapy have not been associated with improved outcome. ( B , III )
659
For children and adults whose signs and symptoms of infection are resolved, no further antibiotic therapy is required. ( B , III )
659
Failure of Initial Therapy
In patients who have persistent or recurrent clinical evidence of intra-abdominal infection after four to seven days of therapy, appropriate diagnostic investigation should be undertaken. This should include CT or ultrasound imaging, and antimicrobial therapy effective against the organisms initially identified should be continued. ( A , III )
659
Extra-abdominal sources of infection and non-infectious inflammatory conditions should also be investigated if the patient is not making a satisfactory clinical response to a microbiologically adequate initial empiric antimicrobial regimen. ( A , II )
659
Initial Management
...ial Management...
...nt For Suspected or Confirmed Intra-Abdomina...
...robiology...
.... Clinical Factors Predicting Failure of Sou...
...uspected Appendicitis*
Appropriate Antimicrob...
...tial Antimicrobial Therapy For Suspected...
...robial Resistance & Toxi...
...ulbactam is not recommended because...
Cefotetan and clindamycin are not re...
...availability of less toxic agents demonstr...
...care-associated infections:Routine use of c...
...2A. Agents and Regimens that may be Used to T...
...e 2B. Agents and Regimens that may be Used t...
...able 2C. Recommendations for Empiric Antimicrobi...
...tial Intravenous, Adult Doses of Anti...