piperacillin--tazobactam-drug-combination and Alcoholism

We report the case of a 52-year-old man, ASA 3-4, malnourished, heavy smoker and drinker at the stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cirrhosis. The postoperative course of a cervical cancer surgery was complicated by a pneumonia with fatal outcome in the intensive care unit. Taking into account the patient's history and surgical requirements, this nosocomial infection did not appear easily preventable. The multiple risk factors and the few preventive measures usable were analyzed. In this context, the media and legal trend to make the doctors responsible for the nosocomial infections should be revised.

Topics: Alcoholism; Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Ciprofloxacin; Cross Infection; Disease Susceptibility; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Immunocompromised Host; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Male; Malnutrition; Malpractice; Middle Aged; Mouth; Neck Dissection; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Oxygen; Penicillanic Acid; Piperacillin; Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination; Pneumonia; Postoperative Complications; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Risk Factors; Smoking; Tongue Neoplasms