B. Barsic et al., Nosocomial infections in critically ill infectious disease patients: Results of a 7-year focal surveillance, INFECTION, 27(1), 1999, pp. 16-22
An incidence study on nosocomial infections in critically ill infectious di
sease patients was carried out in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a univer
sity hospital for infectious diseases over a 7-year period (1 January 1990
to 31 December 1996), A total of 660 patients who stayed in the ICU for ove
r 48 h were prospectively observed, The patients were divided into two grou
ps: one with central nervous system infections (442 patients) and the other
with other severe infections (218 patients). The risk of nosocomial sepsis
and pneumonia was significantly higher in patients suffering from severe c
entral nervous system infections. The incidence of sepsis was 24.2% vs 11.4
% (relative risk 1.95; 95% confidence interval 1.32-2.89); the incidence of
pneumonia was 30.5% vs 14.7% (relative risk 2.09; 95% confidence interval
1.47-2.96), The incidence of urinary tract infection was 14.3% vs 13.3% (re
lative risk 1.07; 95% confidence interval 0.71-1.61), Density rates of noso
comial septic episodes were 21.1+/-37.1 vs 11.7+/-32.4 episodes/100 central
venous-line days (P<0.006). Nosocomial pneumonia occurred only in mechanic
ally ventilated patients (36.9+/-61.2 vs 28.5+/-65.8 episodes per 1000 vent
ilatory days, P=0.012). Nosocomial urinary tract infection occurred only in
patients with urinary catheters (11.6+/-60.7 episodes/1000 urinary cathete
r days vs 18.7+/-90.1, P=0.886). Multivariate regression analysis identifie
d age, diagnosis of CP;TS infection, duration of urinary tract catheterizat
ion, the use of central venous lines and mechanical ventilation as independ
ent risk factors of nosocomial sepsis, Duration of mechanical ventilation,
use of steroids and diagnosis of CNS infection were independent risk factor
s of nosocomial pneumonia, A subanalysis identified tetanus patients to be
at particular risk of nosocomial infections.