Is every microorganism detected in the intensive care unit a nosocomial infection? Isn’t prevention more important than detection?

Abstract

The present letter to the editor is related to the study entitled “Multidrug-resistant organisms in intensive care units and logistic analysis of risk factors.” Not every microorganism grown in samples taken from critically ill patients can be considered as an infectious agent. Accurate and adequate information about nosocomial infections is essential in introducing effective prevention programs in hospitals. Therefore, the development and implementation of care bundles for frequently used medical devices and invasive treatment devices ( e.g. , intravenous catheters and invasive ventilation), adequate staffing not only for physicians, nurses, and other medical staff but also for housekeeping staff, and infection surveillance and motivational feedback are key points of infection prevention in the intensive care unit.