title: [A point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections in the Slovak Republic - a part of the EU project].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this survey was to estimate the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in the Slovak Republic (SR), distribution of causative pathogens, and risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The point prevalence survey (PPS) of HAI in the SR was carried out in 40 acute care hospitals, according to a standardized methodology developed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Data were collected according to the standard protocol at the country, hospital, and patient levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 8 397 patients included in the survey in the SR, 298 (3.5%) had HAI. The highest prevalence of HAI (12.4%) was found in the intensive care units (ICU) and Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine Units (AICMU). Nevertheless, intensive care medicine patients only represented 6.5% of all patients. The following six most common types of HAI accounted for 87.3% of all HAI: urinary tract infection (26.2%), pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections (22.0%), surgical site infection (15.7%), bloodstream infection (9.9%), infection of the eye, ear, and upper respiratory tract (8.3%), and skin and soft tissue infection (5.2%). The most often isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (15.0%), Klebsiella spp. (12.5%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.8%). Of 8 397 surveyed patients, 60.5% had a medical device inserted: central vascular catheter (CVC)(3.4%), peripheral vascular catheter (PVC)(40.8%), urinary catheter (14.1%), or endotracheal tube (2.1%). The prevalence of HAI was higher in patients with than without a medical device inserted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By participating in the PPS, the SR has collected the most recent data on HAI and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals. The adherence to the standard methods, standard definitions of HAI, and PPS protocol allows to repeat the survey, to analyse the HAI prevalence trend, and to take effective interventions.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Litvová
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rovný
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hudečková
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meluš
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stefkovičová
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy