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

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.