title: Need for more targeted measures - only less severe hospital-associated infections declined after introduction of an infection control program.
abstract: A systematic infection control program is found to be an important tool to reduce hospital-associated infections (HAIs) and surveillance of infection is a significant part of it. The aim of this paper was to present the result from 17 years continuous prevalence studies after implementation of a systematic infection control program, to examine trends of hospital-associated infections and to study possible risk factors for different sites of infection. Data from 61399 in-patients at Haukeland University Hospital, Norway, from 1994 to 2010 was included in the study. Overall prevalence of HAIs was 7.6%. There was a reduction in HAIs from 8.3% in 1994 to 7.1% in 2010 (relative decrease 14.4%), mostly attributable to a significant reduction in the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI). For surgical site infections (SSI) we found a borderline significant increase (p=0.05). Male gender (except for UTI), urinary tract catheter and surgical operation were all strong predictors for HAIs. Higher age was a risk factor for all infection types, except for BSI. In conclusion, repeated prevalence surveys demonstrated a significant reduction in HAIs but no decrease in hospital-associated BSI, LRTI and SSI. There was, however, a rapid decline of UTI and other less severe HAIs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies v. 65, 5021 Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science 2, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies v. 87, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: anne.mette.koch@helse-bergen.no.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies v. 65, 5021 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: Roy.Nilsen@igs.uib.no.
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies v. 65, 5021 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: anne.dalheim@helse-bergen.no.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalheim
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies v. 65, 5021 Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science 2, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies v. 87, Bergen, Norway; K.G. Jebsen Centre for Influenza Vaccine Research, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies v. 87, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: rebecca.cox@k2.uib.no.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies v. 65, 5021 Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science 2, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies v. 87, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: stig.harthug@helse-bergen.no.
authors.forename: Stig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harthug
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hospital-associated infection; Infection control program; Prevalence; Risk factors