title: Prevalence of hospital-acquired infections in a home care setting.
abstract: The aim of this point-prevalence study was to determine the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) by site of infection and the associated risk factors in a 'hospital at home' setting in Paris. All patients undergoing a care procedure with a risk of infection and who had been in home care for more than 48 h on the day of the survey (5 June 2000) were enrolled. A standard questionnaire was completed by nurses, midwives and family doctors. Overall, 6.1% of patients had at least one HAI [95% confidence intervals (CI): 3.7-8.5%] and there were 6.3 infections per 100 patients (infections/infected patients ratio: 1.04). The most common site of infection was the urinary tract (50.0%), followed by the skin (37.9%). Infection rates were 3.2% and 2.4%, respectively. Escherichia coli (29.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (29.4%) and Enterococcus spp. (17.6%) were the predominant micro-organisms. In multivariate analysis, the most significant independent risk factor was the presence of a urinary catheter (odds ratio=15.9, 95%CI: 6.3-40.1, P<0.0001). In conclusion, this prevalence study has provided a better understanding of the types of patient receiving 'hospital at home' care, an insight into risk factors for HAIs in home care, and a basis for improving surveillance and prevention.
authors.affiliation: Hospitalisation à Domicile, Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patte
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drouvot
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Quenon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Denic
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briand
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors