[Dominant etiological factors of urinary tract infections in various hospital departments and their resistance to chemotherapeutic agents].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was the determination of the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) in patients hospitalized in specific wards, and the analysis of the factors influencing the incidence of infection.


METHODS
329,608 hospital infection registration cards taken from the Polish national program for registration of hospital infections were analysed. This programme is based on a unified registration card system and on the definitions of particular types of hospital-acquired infections provided by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica programme.


RESULTS
1,422 cases of hospital-acquired UTI, making up 21% of total hospital-acquired infections, were found. Six hundred sixty-six microbes were isolated from this total number of cases. The dominant pathogens were: Escherichia coli (31%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13%), and Enterococcus sp. (12%). Hospital-acquired UTI occurred most often in maternity wards, gynaecology departments and intensive care units. Microbiological confirmation was obtained for only 45% of the clinically diagnosed cases of UTI. A disquieting increase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to chinolones was observed as well as extremely high resistance to aminoglycosides in Enterococcus sp.


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common form of hospital-acquired infection. Causal agents of hospital-acquired UTIs differed, depending upon the specific ward to which the patient is admitted. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus sp. Microbiological confirmation of the clinically diagnosed cases of urinary tract infection is absolutely necessary, as well as a better cooperation between practicing physicians and microbiologists in the detection of hospital-acquired infection and interpretation of results.
Staszków
E
E
Wojewódzka Stacja Sanitarno Epidemiologiczna w Krakowie.
Wójkowska-Mach
J
J
Kuthan
R
R
Bulanda
M
M
Heczko
P B
PB
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*