title: The prevalence of and risk factors for healthcare-associated infections in Slovenia: results of the second national survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the second Slovenian national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevalence survey, conducted within the European point prevalence survey of HAIs and antimicrobial use in acute-care hospitals, we estimated the prevalence of all types of HAIs and identified risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from acute-care hospitals were enrolled into a one-day cross-sectional study in October 2011. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe the characteristics of patients, their exposure to invasive procedures and the prevalence of different types of HAIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses of association of having at least one HAI with possible risk factors were performed to identify risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 5628 patients, 3.8% had at least one HAI and additional 2.6% were still being treated for HAIs on the day of the survey; the prevalence of HAIs was 6.4%. The prevalence of urinary tract infections was the highest (1.4%), followed by pneumoniae (1.3%) and surgical site infections (1.2%). In intensive care units (ICUs), the prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 35.7%. Risk factors for HAIs included central vascular catheter (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.0; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.9-5.7), peripheral vascular catheter (aOR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.5-2.6), intubation (aOR 2.3; 95% CI: 1.4-3.5) and rapidly fatal underlying condition (aOR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4-3.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HAIs in Slovenian acute-care hospitals in 2011 was substantial, especially in ICUs. HAIs prevention and control is an important public health priority. National surveillance of HAIs in ICUs should be developed to support evidence-based prevention and control.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Trubarjeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Klavs
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Trubarjeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolman
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Infectious Diseases, Japljeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lejko Zupanc
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre Maribor, Department of Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, Ljubljanska cesta 5, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Božena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kotnik Kevorkijan
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Trubarjeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Aleš
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korošec
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Trubarjeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mojca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serdt
keywords: Slovenia; healthcare-associated infections; prevalence; risk factors; survey