Device-associated infection rates in adult intensive care units of Cuban university hospitals: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) findings

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the rate of device-associated healthcare-associated infection (DA-HAI), microbiological profile, length of stay (LOS), extra mortality, and hand hygiene compliance in two intensive care units (ICUs) of two hospital members of the International Infection Control Consortium (INICC) of Havana, Cuba.

Methods: An open label, prospective cohort, active DA-HAI surveillance study was conducted on adults admitted to two tertiary-care ICUs in Cuba from May 2006 to December 2009, implementing the methodology developed by INICC. Data collection was performed in the participating ICUs, and data were uploaded and analyzed at the INICC headquarters on proprietary software. DA-HAI rates were registered by applying the definitions of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC NHSN). We analyzed the mechanical ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLA-BSI), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates, microorganism profile, extra length of stay (ELOS), extra mortality, and hand hygiene compliance.

Results: During 14 512 days of hospitalization, 1982 patients acquired 444 DA-HAIs, an overall rate of 22.4% (95% CI 20.6-24.3) or 30.6 (95% CI 27.8-33.5) DA-HAIs per 1000 ICU-days. The CLA-BSI rate was 2.0 (95% CI 1.2-3.1) per 1000 central line-days, the VAP rate was 52.5 (95% CI 47.2-58.3) per 1000 ventilator-days, and the CAUTI rate was 8.1 (95% CI 6.5-10.0) per 1000 catheter-days. LOS of patients was 4.9 days for those without DA-HAI, 23.3 days for those with CLA-BSI, and 23.8 days for those with VAP. CAUTI LOS was not calculated due to the lack of data. Extra mortality was 47% (relative risk (RR) 2.42; p=0.0693) for VAP and 17% (RR 1.52; p=0.5552) for CLA-BSI. The only patient with CAUTI died, but there was too little mortality data regarding this infection type to consider this significant. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated microorganism. The overall hand hygiene compliance was 48.6% (95% CI 42.8-54.3).

Conclusions: DA-HAI rates, LOS, and mortality were found to be high, and hand hygiene low. It is of primary importance that infection control programs that include outcome and process surveillance are implemented in Cuba.