Hospital acquired infections surveillance and control in intensive care services. Results of an incidence study

Abstract

Hospital acquired infections (HAI) continue to constitute a major health problem for hospital patients. Such a problem is particularly relevant in Intensive Care Wards. Here infections appear to be directly or indirectly related to the patients' death, and the patients, of course, represent a selected group of the most susceptible hosts in the whole hospital due to their immunosuppressed states, underlying diseases and the numerous and highly invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to which they are submitted. This paper reports the results of a one-year surveillance incidence study carried out in four Intensive Care Wards at Padua Hospital by means of a daily visits to the wards and careful collection of the patients' data in a computerized sheet. Two-hundred-thirty-one of the 859 patients considered developed one or more HAI (HAI percentage 26.9%) for a total of 382 HAIs (Infections ratio 44.5%). Nosocomial pneumonias were the most frequent infections detected, whereas urinary tract infections, bacteremias and wound infections were less common in such patients. The study also confirmed the importance of invasive procedures and surgical operations in the predisposition to HAIs. In particular, the importance of the urinary catheter and of tracheal intubation was outlined. In addition, HAI appeared to be related to the duration of hospitalization and to the severity of the patients' illness. HAIs (especially nosocomial pneumonias) were also closely related to the patients' death. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S. aureus, Acinetobacter and Streptococcus D were the most frequently isolated agents in the infected patients. Gram-negative agents accounted for 57% of all agents isolated and were particularly frequent in both pneumonias and urinary tract infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Epidemiology, Prevalence, and Sites of Infections in Intensive Care Units

“…In another study, age > 75 years did not predict mortality for nosocomial infection acquired in an SICU. 64 Several studies 65,66 suggest the relative risk of mortality was higher in the older and more seriously ill patients, and also in patients with respiratory disease and longer ICU stays.…”

Relationship between nosocomial infection and mortality in a neurology intensive care unit in Turkey

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Several risk factors affecting ICU mortality other than nosocomial infection have been reported, such as diagnosis on admission, invasive procedures and treatments, severity of illness scores and the length of ICU stay. [6][7][8][9] Few of the studies evaluating the effect of nosocomial infection on mortality examined the relationship in a neurology ICU. 10,11 The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between nosocomial infection and mortality in a neurology ICU in Turkey, with particular attention given to confounding risk factors.…”

Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in long-term care facilities in eastern Taiwan

“…The number of older people using the services of LTCFs in the USA is projected to increase from 15 million in 2000 to 27 million in 2050 [5]. Nosocomial infection is defined as an illness which is not present at the time of admission to the hospital but develops 48 h after admission or within 48 h after being discharged [678]. Since residents in LTCFs need to see physicians at both hospitals and LTCFs, the risks of nosocomial infections of multidrug-resistant bacteria in LTCFs may increase [91011].…”