Laurent Papazian, MD, PhD, of Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France, and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether statin therapy decreased day-28 mortality among intensive care unit patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
Â
Observational studies have reported that statins improve outcomes of various infections. VAP is the most common infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is diagnosed in approximately 8 to 28 percent of ICU patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is associated with increased mortality rates and high healthcare costs. New treatments are needed to improve the outcomes of VAP, according to background information in the article.
Â
The trial, performed in 26 intensive care units in France from January 2010 to March 2013, randomized 300 patients to receive simvastatin (60 mg) or placebo, started on the same day as antibiotic therapy and given until ICU discharge, death, or day 28, whichever occurred first.
Â
The study was stopped for futility at the first scheduled interim analysis after enrollment of the 300 patients. The researchers found that day-28 mortality was not lower in the simvastatin group (21.2 percent) than in the placebo group (15.2 percent). There were no differences in day-14, ICU, or hospital mortality rates, or in duration of mechanical ventilation.
Â
These findings do not support the use of statins for improving VAP outcomes, the authors conclude.
doi:10.l001/jama.2013.280031
Â
CDC Strategies Preventing Hospital-Onset C difficile Effectiveness Inconclusive in Testing
April 15th 2024Hospitals using CDC prevention strategies had different incidences of hospital-associated Clostridioides difficile infection compared to those that didn't, but the reasons are not necessarily the strategies themselves.
Unlocking the Power of AI in Hospital Infection Prevention: A Sustainable Approach to HAIs
April 11th 2024Read on about how, as hospitals grapple with the costly burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a game-changer in revolutionizing infection prevention strategies.
Deeds to Reality: A Journey of Immigration and Obstacles With Carole W. Kamangu, MPH, RN, CIC
April 9th 2024Carole W. Kamangu, MPH, RN, CIC, shares her inspiring journey from the Democratic Republic of Congo to health care leadership in the US today. (This is the French translation of the interview with Carole W. Kamangu.)