Analysis of risk factors associated with nosocomial bacteraemias

A prospective study of 2676 blood cultures was performed to identify the fa ctors associated with clinically, significant nosocomial bacteraemia that o ccurred during a one year period in the Malaga University Clinical Hospital . Three hundred and fifty-five episodes of bacteraemia were considered clin ically significant. The overall incidence of bacteraemia was 19.5/1000 admi ssions, of which 46% were hospital-acquired. A multivariate model showed th at only six factors were significantly, and independently, responsible for nosocomial bacteraemias: intravascular catheterization (P < 0.0001, OR = 18 .37), invasive procedures (P < 0.0001, OR = 10.38), malignancy (P = 0.035, OR = 3.11), indwelling devices (P = 0.005, OR = 3.05), stay in intensive ca re or surgical departments (P = 0.05, OR = 2.63) and length of hospital sta y (P = 0.051, OR = 1.02). These results show that the factors which had mos t influence on the development of nosocomial bacteraemias were those factor s associated with the treatment received by patients during their hospital stay.