Background: Health-care associated infections (HAI) are common complications in ICU patients as an effect of high invasive device utilization rate. The aim of the study was to analyze the epidemiology of ventilator - associated pneumonia (VAP), blood stream infections (BSI), urinary tract infections (UTI) and surgical site infections (SSI) in newly opened medical-surgical intensive care unit.
Methods: VAP, BSI, UTI and SSI were detected and registered by hospital Infection Control Team according to CDC criteria during first 12 months following opening of new ICU.
Results: During 12-month period HAI was diagnosed in 44 out of 168 patients (26%). The ventilator utilization rate was 72%. The incidence density of VAP was 15.5/1000 ventilator days. The central line utilization was 100%. The BSI rate was 5/1000 catheter days. The urinary catheter utilization was 95%. The UTI rate was 1.9/1000 catheterization days. In 8 out of 60 surgical patients SSI occurred (13%). The most common isolates were Gram negative bacteria.
Conclusions: The incidence of VAP was higher than the mean values reported for USA, western Europe and similar to the mean value reported for developing countries. BSI and UTI rate was comparable to those given in NNIS and HELICS reports. Effective prevention strategies should be introduced in order to reduce high VAP rates