title: Effect of neonatal intensive care unit environment on the incidence of hospital-acquired infection in neonates.
abstract: The influence of the inanimate hospital environment and hospital design on nosocomial infection is a topic for discussion. This study evaluated the impact of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment on the risk of hospital-acquired infection (HAI). HAI surveillance was performed during a four-year period when the NICU was moved initially from an old facility to temporary accommodation and then eventually to a new and better-designed facility. The rate of HAI rose significantly from 12.8 to 18.6% (P<0.01) after moving to the temporary unit, which had a lower sink:cot ratio and a higher monthly admission rate. In contrast, the rates of catheter-associated staphylococcal bacteraemia decreased significantly after moving to the new NICU (P<0.0001). Since peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) were introduced concomitantly with the move to the new unit, however, the catheter type may have contributed towards this reduction in CVC-related staphylococcal bacteraemias. Moving to a temporary NICU with poor handwashing facilities and higher admission activity resulted in higher rates of HAI.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, CEP 38400-902, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. denisebrito@terra.com.br
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Von Dolinger de Brito
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Almeida Silva
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jose Oliveira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arantes
authors.forename: V O S
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tannus Jorge
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Gontijo Filho
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016015:Logistic Models; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology