NOSOCOMIAL WOUND INFECTIONS - A PREVALENCE STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF RISK-FACTORS

This first German prevalence study surveilling nosocomial wound infect ions (NWI) was carried out in 72 representatively selected hospitals, NWI were recorded by 4 validated investigators. Seventy-nine NWI were recorded among 4983 operated patients (prevalence rate: 1.61%), most o f them after amputation of limbs (6.1%) and operations on the colon or rectum (3.1%), The 3 risk factors from the NNIS (National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance) index for postoperative wound infections were for the first time applied in this prevalence study, Patients with con taminated wounds had significantly more wound infections (P = 0.01, li kelihood ratio test) whereas, in contrast to the NNIS index, patients with ASA score >3 (P = 0.07) or long lasting operations (>75th percent ile) did not (P = 0.1). Therefore, for the stratification of NWI rates wound contamination is the single most important factor.