title: Prevalence of nosocomial infections in hospitals in Norway, 2002 and 2003.
abstract: The Norwegian Institute of Public Health initiated a national surveillance system for nosocomial infections in 2002. The system is based on two annual one-day prevalence surveys recording the four most common types of nosocomial infection: urinary tract infections; lower respiratory tract infections; surgical site infections and septicaemia. All acute care hospitals in Norway (N=76) were invited to participate in the four surveys in 2002 and 2003. The total prevalence of the four recorded nosocomial infections varied between 5.1% and 5.4% in the four surveys. In all surveys, nosocomial infections were located most frequently in the urinary tract (34%), followed by the lower respiratory tract (29%), surgical sites (28%) and septicaemia (8%). The prevalence surveys give a brief overview of the burden and distribution of nosocomial infections. The results can be used to prioritize further infection control measures and more detailed incidence surveillance of nosocomial infections.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P. O. Box 4404, Nydalen 0403 Oslo, Norway. eriksenhanne@yahoo.com
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aavitsland
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006285:Health Planning; D006292:Health Priorities; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control