A STUDY OF NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION IN RELATION TO DIFFERENT HOST FACTORSIN AN INDIAN TEACHING HOSPITAL

Our of a total of 422 patients studied, 164 (38.8%) developed nosocomi al infection. The rate was higher (41.6%) in males than in females (34 .7%). A rising trend of infection was observed with age, maximum (69.6 %) being in the above GO age group. Nosocomial infection rate was inve rsely proportional to the socio-economic status of the patient; At the same time some underlying diseases in the patients influenced the rat e of infection to a great extent, eg infection rates in patients with anaemia (53.7%), diabetes mellitus (85.2%), hypertension (82.0%) and o besity (51.5%) were much more than in patients with no such underlying disease (17.5%).