Table 4

Infectious complications

Type of infection
Supplemented group (n = 21)
Number of patients per number of episodes (mean episodes ± SD per patient)
Placebo group (n = 20)
Number of patients per number of episodes (mean episodes ± SD per patient)
P valuea

Any infection
21/43 (2.0 ± 1.0)
20/69 (3.5 ± 1.2)
<0.001
Pneumonia



     Any
11/13 (0.6 ± 0.7)
20/35 (1.7 ± 1.1)
0.001
     Early (0 to 48 hours)
6/6 (0.3 ± 0.5)
4/4 (0.2 ± 0.5)
ns to 0.220
     Nosocomial (>48 hours)
7/7 (0.33 ± 0.5)
16/31 (1.55 ± 1.0)
<0.001
     VAPb
6/6 (0.33 ± 0.5)
13/13 (0.65 ± 0.5)
0.023
     Recurrentc
2/2 (0.1 ± 0.3)
13/19 (0.95 ± 0.8)
<0.001
Skin and soft tissue infection
14/20 (0.95 ± 0.9)
14/19 (0.95 ± 0.8)
ns to 0.871
Urinary tract infection
3/4 (0.2 ± 0.5)
4/5 (0.253 ± 0.6)
ns to 0.726
Bloodstream infection
6/6 (0.3 ± 0.5)
5/7 (0.35 ± 0.7)
ns to 0.734
Other infectiond
0
4/4 (0.2 ± 0.4)
ns to 0.031

aP values are generated from Cochran-Armitage trend test; bVAP reduced from 5.5 to 3.6 episodes per 1,000 ventilator days in supplemented patients; crecurrent pneumonia designates new distinct pneumonia occurring after a first episode of pneumonia (early or nosocomial); dincluding three cases of enterocolitis and one case of chondritis of the ear. NP, nosocomial pneumonia; ns, non-significant; SD, standard deviation; VAP, ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Berger et al. Critical Care 2006 10:R153   doi:10.1186/cc5084