The incidence of nosocomial infections in a pneumology division and intermediate intensive care unit.
It has been shown that the problem of nosocomial infections is different in each specialist hospital division, and it is important to be aware of the local situation and to identify the specific problems. In order to set up an effective prevention programme and in the setting of a general system of control of nosocomial infection, we studied the incidence of infections and correlated the pathogenic organisms appearing during hospitalization in patients admitted to our Pneumology Division and Intermediate Intensive Care Unit over a period of 12 months. A nosocomial infections incidence of 13% was observed and 75% of these were respiratory, 21% urinary and 4% other infections. Seventy two percent of pathogenic agents were Gram-negative bacilli and 28% Gram-positive cocci. The site-specific rates of infections observed are related to intrinsic (host dependent) and extrinsic (non-host-dependent) risk factors that have not been exhaustively evaluated in the present study. However, the data so far collected will allow us to redirect the resources used in the control of nosocomial infections by targeting efforts at the surveillance of better defined groups of patients and by achieving data more suitable for comparisons between hospitals.
Grassi
G
G
Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Rehabilitation Institute of Montescano, Division of Pneumology, Italy.
Cavanna
A
A
Evangelisti
I
I
Majani
U
U
Maserati
R
R
Corsico
R
R
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012124:Respiratory Care Units; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology