Hospital-acquired infections in Norwegian long-term-care institutions. A three-year survey of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic treatment in nursing/residential homes, including 4500 residents in Oslo

Citation
Bm. Andersen et M. Rasch, Hospital-acquired infections in Norwegian long-term-care institutions. A three-year survey of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic treatment in nursing/residential homes, including 4500 residents in Oslo, J HOSP INF, 46(4), 2000, pp. 288-296
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Immunolgy & Infectious Disease
Journal title
JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION
ISSN journal
01956701 → ACNP
Volume
46
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
288 - 296
Database
ISI
SICI code
0195-6701(200012)46:4<288:HIINLI>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Point prevalence studies of hospital-acquired infections among the elderly in 65-70 long-term care facilities (LTCF) were carried out once a year over a three-year period in Oslo city, Norway. They showed an overall rate of 6 .5% of hospital-acquired infections among 13 702 residents. The infection r ate was approximately the same as in hospitals and twice as high as among h ospitalized long-term psychiatric patients. Residents who had received surg ical treatment within the previous three months had a high rate of postoper ative infections, especially wound infections (14.8%). During the study per iod, the LTCFs were found to be understaffed and overcrowded. The had few p rivate rooms, a lack of bathrooms and toilets, no isolation facilities and deficient ventilation systems. The economic consequences of hospital-acquir ed infections in these LTCFs were extra costs in medical and nursing care a nd antibacterial treatment of 157 500 Nkr/day (22 500 USD). There would be a substantial cost-benefit in effective preventative measures against hospi tal-acquired infections in long-term care institutions. (C) 2000 The Hospit al Infection Society.