title: Effects of isolation rooms on the prevalence of hospital acquired pneumonia in a respiratory ICU.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) varies according to the type of intensive care units (ICUs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) and the effect of isolation rooms on the frequency of pneumonia in the ICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present investigation was carried out between January 2004 and July 2008. The ICU, which was 4-bed ward-type between January 2004 and February 2006 (1st period), was reconfigured as isolated rooms with only 2 beds each after March 2006 (2nd period). 153 and 379 patients were followed up in the ICU in the 1st and 2nd periods, respectively. Blood, sputum, and deep tracheal aspiration cultures were used for the isolation of the causative agents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was detected between the general characteristics of patients. HAP developed in 101 patients (19%). The prevalence of HAP was 22.9% in the 1st period and 17.4% in the 2nd period. During the 1st and 2nd periods, the HAP infection densities were 22.2 and 16.1/1000 patient-days and the ventilator-associated pneumonia densities were 48.1 and 37.6/1000 ventilator-days, respectively. Eighty-six percent of HAP was ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isolation rooms in the ICU may be an effective strategy to control and decrease the rate of pneumonia in the ICU in addition to other preventive strategies.
authors: Department of Chest Diseases, University of Osmangazi, Eskisehir, Turkey. iucgun@ogu.edu.tr
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Ucgun
authors: C E
authors: CE
authors: Dagli
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kiremitci
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Yildirim
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Ak
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Aslan
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010356:Patient Isolation; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology