title: Incidence and impact of infection in a nursing home care unit.
abstract: In this study we examined the frequency of infection and its consequences in a Veterans Administration medical center nursing home care unit during its first 9 months of operation. A total of 231 patients were enrolled and were followed up for an average stay of 115 days. Sixty-nine infections occurred in 50 patients and yielded a period prevalence rate of 22% and an infection incidence rate of 2.6 infections per 1000 days of patient care. Symptomatic urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and skin and soft tissue infections accounted for 41%, 32%, and 17% of the infections, respectively. Staphylococci, streptococci, and aerobic gram-negative bacilli were the most common bacterial isolates. Thirty-four episodes of infection (49%) required administration of parenteral antibiotics in the nursing home care unit, and 21 episodes (30%) necessitated transfer to the acute care hospital for management. Infection caused one death and contributed to the death of 4 of the 55 other patients who died during the study period.
authors.affiliation: Nursing and Medical Service, Portland VA Medical Center, OR 97207.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Strausbaugh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009922:Oregon; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology