title: Healthcare-associated infections in long-term care facilities (HALT) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, January to March 2011.
abstract: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a potentially serious threat to elderly people living in longterm care facilities. Therefore, the European HALT (Healthcare-associated infections in long-term care facilities) project was launched in 2008. HAIs and the use of antibiotics were studied in all 40 nursing homes (100% response) in the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from January to March 2011, using the HALT protocol. Of the 3,732 residents in the homes, 4.3% (n=161) had either signs or symptoms of infections and/or were on oral antibiotics. The most common infections were urinary tract infections (n=45; 1.2%), followed by infections of the respiratory tract (n=41; 1.1%) and skin except mycosis (n=25; 0.7%). The overall prevalence of oral antibiotic use was 2.4% (n=90). The most frequently prescribed oral antibiotics were quinolones (n=31), cephalosporins (n=19), penicillins (n=11) and co-trimoxazole (n=11). The prevalence of HAIs was about the same as that in a European pilot study carried out in November 2009 (5%), but was higher than in several national surveys carried out between May and September 2010 (1.6–3.6%).
authors.affiliation: Public Health Authorities, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ursel.heudorf@stadt-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heudorf
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boehlcke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schade
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents