Nosocomial infections in the intensive care units at a university hospital in a developing country: Comparison with National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance intensive care unit rates

• Published in: American journal of infection control 1999-12, Vol.27 (6), p.547-552
• Main Authors: Khuri-Bulos, Najwa A., Shennak, Mustafa, Agabi, Shukri, Saleh, Shawqi, Al Rawashdeh, Saber, Al Ghanem, Subhi, Al Adham, Manal, Faori, Ibrahim, Abu Khader, Ilham
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross Infection - diagnosis; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Developing Countries; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Health Care Surveys; Hospitals, University - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infant; Intensive Care Units - statistics & numerical data; Jordan - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reference Values; Sex Distribution; Survival Analysis; Tropical medicine
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/S0196-6553(99)70035-0

Objective: As a measure of the quality of care provided to patients in the intensive care unit, comparison of nosocomial infection rates with those of the National Nosocomial Infection surveillance was completed during a 3-year observation period. Design: The study design was a prospective study during 3 years between 1993 and 1995. During that period, patients at the medical/surgical and neurosurgical intensive care units and the high-risk nursery were surveyed for nosocomial infections. Device use, bloodstream infection, urinary tract infection, and ventilator-associated pneumonia nosocomial infection rates were calculated and compared with the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance published rates for the same period. Setting: The study setting was the medical/surgical intensive care unit, the neurosurgical intensive care unit, and the high-risk nursery at the Jordan University Hospital. Results: Overall infection rates were 17.2 per 100 patients in the medical/surgical intensive care unit, 14.2 to 18.5 per 100 patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, and 13.4 to 73.5 per 100 patients in the high-risk nursery. When compared with the weight of the infants, these rates were 61.9 to 94 per 100 in infants weighing 1500 g to 2500 g, and 11.7 to 14.4 per 100 in infants weighing >2500 g. Whereas device use was moderate, bloodstream infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia rates were >90th percentile for National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance in the high-risk nursery, and urinary tract infection was >90th percentile in the medical/surgical and neurosurgical intensive care units. Nosocomial infections at the intensive care units in developing countries need further investigation and control. (AJIC Am J Infect Control 1999;27:547-52)