This study aimed to determine the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HaIs) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, analyzing data and clinical outcomes in patients with and without HaIs.This was a prospective cohort study involving 293 consecutive adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery between april 2011 and October 2012. Of the 293 patients, 60 (24.9%) developed 73 HaIs: 24 surgical site infections, 24 pneumonias, 14 urinary tract infections (UTIs), and 11 bloodstream infections (BSIs). The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 14.6 cases/1,000 ventilator-days, whereas that of catheterassociated UTI was 7.15 cases/1,000 catheter-days and that of central line-associated BSI was 4.52 cases/1,000 central line-days. Of the 60 patients with HaIs, 20 (33%) died before postoperative day 90, compared with 18 (7.7%) of the 233 patients without HaIs (P < .001). Independent variables associated with infection were length of hospital stay (Or 1.04; 95% C, 1.01-1.06; P = 0.002), duration of urinary catheter use (Or 1.19; 95% CI 1.07-1.13; P = 0.001), and duration of central line use (Or 1.07; 95% CI 1.01-1.13; P = 0.032). Independent variables associated with mortality were acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (Or 1.27; 95% CI 1.14-1.42; P < 0.001), pneumonia (Or 11.94; 95% CI 3.83-37.17; P < 0.001), UTI (Or 8.59; 95% CI 1.91-38.7; P = 0.005), and BSI (Or 6.16; 95% CI 1.08-34.98; P = 0.040).Int J Infect Control 2018, v14:il