Reported measures of hygiene and incidence rates for hospital-acquired diarrhea in 31 French pediatric wards: is there any relationship?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between hygienic measures reported for the prevention of hospital-acquired diarrhea and incidence rates of hospital-acquired diarrhea.


METHODS
A survey of hospital-acquired diarrhea was conducted between January 1 and March 31, 1999. Multivariate analysis of reported measures of hygiene according to the observed incidence rates of hospital-acquired diarrhea was performed.


METHODS
Thirty-one pediatric or neonatal wards located in hospitals in the southeast of France, selected as a convenience sample of wards volunteering to participate.


METHODS
A total of 6,726 children younger than 5 years.


RESULTS
The overall incidence rate of hospital-acquired diarrhea was 3.6%. Rotavirus was responsible for 69% of the cases of hospital-acquired diarrhea. Among the hygienic measures reported by the wards for preventing hospital-acquired diarrhea were using a single room or cohorting (77.4%), washing hands (83.9%), wearing gowns (80.6%), and wearing disposable single-use gloves for diapering a patient (51.6%). By multivariate analysis, the variables statistically associated with a lower incidence of hospital-acquired diarrhea were restricting the patient's mobility outside his or her room, keeping the patient's door closed, and having fewer than 20 beds in the ward, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.34 (95% confidence interval [CI95], 0.18 to 0.65), 0.33 (CI95, 0.23 to 0.47), and 0.42 (CI95 0.30 to 0.60), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Simple preventive measures can decrease the rate of hospital-acquired diarrhea in pediatric wards.
Jusot
Jean-François
JF
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Public Health, INSERM U271, Lyon, France.
Vanhems
Philippe
P
Benzait
Fatima
F
Berthelot
Philippe
P
Patural
Hugues
H
Teyssier
Georges
G
Fabry
Jacques
J
Pozzetto
Bruno
B
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006302:Health Services Research; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics