title: Nosocomial bloodstream infections in Finnish hospitals during 1999-2000.
abstract: Prospective laboratory-based surveillance in 4 Finnish hospitals during 1999-2000 identified 1477 cases of nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI), with an overall rate of 0.8 BSIs per 1000 patient-days. Of BSI cases, 33% were in patients with a hematological malignancy and 15% were in patients with a solid malignancy; 26% were in patients who had undergone surgery preceding infection. Twenty-six percent of BSIs were related to intensive care, and 61% occurred in patients with a central venous catheter. Sixty-five percent of the 1621 causative organisms were gram positive, 31% were gram negative, and 4% were fungi. The most common pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (31%), Escherichia coli (11%), Staphylococcus aureus (11%), and enterococci (6%). Methicillin resistance was detected in 1% of S. aureus isolates and vancomycin resistance in 1% of enterococci. The 7-day case-fatality ratio was 9% and was highest for infections caused by Candida (21%) and enterococci (18%). The overall rate of nosocomial BSIs was similar to rates in England and the United States, but S. aureus, enterococci, and fungi were less common in our study, and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance was lower.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. outi.lyytikainen@ktl.fi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lyytikäinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lumio
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sarkkinen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kolho
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kostiala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruutu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016469:Fungemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology