Healthcare-Associated Infections at Intensive Care Unit of Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine at Martin Faculty Hospital

Abstract

We analyzed the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) at intensive care unit of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine of Martin Faculty Hospital in 2008. We performed a retrospective-prospective observation according the protocol of European HELICS (Hospital in Europe Link for Infection Control and Surveillance) system. We found 11 HAI (4.45%) which on average prolonged the length of hospitalization by 6 days. The most frequent localisation of HAI was the respiratory tract. By our own observation we found the same number of HAI cases as it had been reported officially but the observed and reported cases do not match. The surveillance system HELICS uses definitions slightly different from those used in Slovakia. The severity of health status of a patient at admission influences the risk of HAI. We suggest a continuing collaboration on HELICS system with further involvement of all departments of Martin Faculty Hospital and creation of a hospital infection control team. We also suggest an improvement in testing for etiologic agents of HAI and an introduction of methods of molecular epidemiology in diagnostics, as well as quantification of costs related to occurrence of HAI and to assess an implication of automated monitoring system in HAI surveillance.

Point Prevalence Survey of Nosocomial Infections in University Hospital in Martin

“…NI are always accompanied by the provision of health care and are common cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide (6).…”