EPIDEMIOLOGY AND RISK FACTORS OF NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS IN GENERAL SURGERY DEPARTMENT

Abstract

This research was performed in order to find out the incidence, types, risk factors of nosocomial infections in the general surgery departments. Due to its prolonged hospitalization time and increased medical treatment cost, nosocomial infections caused an important morbidity and mortality in the surgical patients and made preventive measures of infections a current issue. A prospective active surveillance was performed on 1770 patients hospitalized at the general surgery departments of our hospital between January 1997 and December 1998 through the "Infection Control Committee". For the definition of nosocomial infection criteria proposed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1988 was used. Responsible micro-organisms, infection sites and risk factors of nosocomial infections that appeared in hospitalized patients were investigated. it was determined that 104 nosocomial infections were in 91 patients in the course of last two years, the incidence of nosocomial infection was 5.1 %. The most common infection sites were surgical wound (2.9%) and urinary tract (1,5%), The most frequently isolated micro-organisms were E, coli (42.6%) and S. aureus (l 4,8%). The most frequently applied attempts were urethral catheterisation (35.5%), intravenous catheter application (33.2%) and orotracheal intubation (27.5%). The most frequently risk factors were H receptor antagonists, blood transfusions, unconsciousness and malignancy. At our clinic, we determined that prevalence of nosocomial infections decreased from 8,4%to2.5% on the second year. Surgical wound infections are the most commonly seen infection in the general surgery departments and in order to decrease the prevalence of nosocomial infection the surgical staff must be informed.