Nosocomial infections in the intensive care units at a university hospital in a developing country: comparison with National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance intensive care unit rates.
OBJECTIVE
As a measure of the quality of care provided to patients in the intensive care unit, comparison of nosocomial infection rates with those of the National Nosocomial Infection surveillance was completed during a 3-year observation period.


METHODS
The study design was a prospective study during 3 years between 1993 and 1995. During that period, patients at the medical/surgical and neurosurgical intensive care units and the high-risk nursery were surveyed for nosocomial infections. Device use, bloodstream infection, urinary tract infection, and ventilator-associated pneumonia nosocomial infection rates were calculated and compared with the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance published rates for the same period.


METHODS
The study setting was the medical/surgical intensive care unit, the neurosurgical intensive care unit, and the high-risk nursery at the Jordan University Hospital.


RESULTS
Overall infection rates were 17.2 per 100 patients in the medical/surgical intensive care unit, 14.2 to 18.5 per 100 patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, and 13.4 to 73.5 per 100 patients in the high-risk nursery. When compared with the weight of the infants, these rates were 61.9 to 94 per 100 in infants weighing <1500 g, 26 to 30.8 per 100 patients in infants weighing >1500 g to 2500 g, and 11.7 to 14.4 per 100 in infants weighing >2500 g. Whereas device use was moderate, bloodstream infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia rates were >90th percentile for National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance in the high-risk nursery, and urinary tract infection was >90th percentile in the medical/surgical and neurosurgical intensive care units. Nosocomial infections at the intensive care units in developing countries need further investigation and control.
Khuri-Bulos
N A
NA
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
Shennak
M
M
Agabi
S
S
Saleh
S
S
Al Rawashdeh
S
S
Al Ghanem
S
S
Al Adham
M
M
Faori
I
I
Abu Khader
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012016:Reference Values; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis