Device-associated nosocomial infection rates in intensive care units in four Mexican public hospitals.
BACKGROUND
Routine surveillance of nosocomial infections has become an integral part of infection control and quality assurance in US hospitals.


METHODS
As part of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium, we performed a prospective nosocomial infection surveillance cohort study in 5 adult intensive care units of 4 Mexican public hospitals using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system definitions. Site-specific nosocomial infection rates were calculated.


RESULTS
The overall nosocomial infection rate was 24.4% (257/1055) and 39.0 (257/6590) per 1000 patient days. The most common infection was catheter-associated bloodstream infection, 57.98% (149/257), followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia, 20.23% (52/257), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 21.79% (56/257). The overall rate of catheter-associated bloodstream infections was 23.1 per 1000 device-days (149/6450); ventilator-associated pneumonia rate was 21.8 per 1000 device-days (52/2390); and catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate was 13.4 per 1000 device-days (56/4184).


CONCLUSIONS
Our rates are similar to other hospitals of Latin America and higher than US hospitals.
Ramirez Barba
Ector Jaime
EJ
Public Health Institute, Secretary of Health, Guanajuato, México.
Rosenthal
Victor Daniel
VD
Higuera
Francisco
F
Oropeza
Martha Sobreyra
MS
Hernández
Hector Torres
HT
López
Martha Sánchez
MS
Lona
Elia Lara
EL
Duarte
Pablo
P
Ruiz
Javier
J
Hernandez
Raul Rojas
RR
Chavez
Amalia
A
Cerrato
Irma Perez
IP
Ramirez
Gloria Elena
GE
Safdar
Nasia
N