title: Building a continuous multicenter infection surveillance system in the intensive care unit: findings from the initial data set of 9,493 patients from 71 Italian intensive care units.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epidemiology of infections in intensive care units (ICUs), whether present at admission or acquired during the stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective data collection lasting 6 months in 71 Italian adult ICUs. Patients were screened for infections and risk factors at ICU admission and daily during their stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 9,493 consecutive patients admitted to the 71 ICUs, 11.6% had a community-acquired infection, 7.4% a hospital-acquired infection, and 11.4% an ICU-acquired infection. The risk curve of acquiring infection in the ICU was higher in patients who entered without infection than in those already infected (log-rank test, p < .0001; at 15 days, 44.0% vs. 34.6%). Hospital mortality (27.8% overall) was higher in patients admitted with infection than in those who acquired infection in the ICU (45.0% vs. 32.4%, p < .0001). Although the presence of infection per se did not influence mortality, the conditions of severe sepsis and septic shock were strong prognostic factors (odds ratio, 2.3 and 4.8, respectively). Apart from ICU-acquired peritonitis, no other site of infection reached statistical significance as an independent prognostic factor for hospital mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adding specific data on infections and risk factors to a well-established electronic data collection system is a reliable basis for a continuous multicenter infection surveillance program in the ICU. Given the well-established importance of infection prevention programs, our data suggest that the improvement of the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock is the key to lower infection-related mortality in the ICU. This calls for closer attention to severe infections in surveillance programs.
authors: Servizio di Anestesia, Rianimazione e Pronto Soccorso, Ospedale di S. Chiara, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Malacarne
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Langer
authors: Ennio
authors: E
authors: Nascimben
authors: Maria Luisa
authors: ML
authors: Moro
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Giudici
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Lampati
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Bertolini
mesh_terms: D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007239:Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate