K Ghazvini, T Rashed, H Boskabadi, M Yazdan Panah, F Khakzadan, H Safaee, L Mohamadpor,
Volume 66, Issue 5 (8-2008)
Abstract
Background: Nosocomial infections increase patients' morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and have become a matter of major concern. Controlling and preventing nosocomial infections need enough information about epidemiology of these infections. This study aims at estimating the incidence rate and the most frequent bacteria which cause these infections in neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem university hospital, Mashhad.
Methods: In this study which is performed during a twelve month period in 2004 and 2005 at neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem hospital, 971 hospitalized neonates were studied. Data were collected considering the standard surveillance protocols. Early onset neonatal nosocomial infections and late onset neonatal infections were defined as illness appearing from birth to seven days and from eight to twenty-eight days postnatal age respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ2 test.
Results: In this study 32 cases of nosocomial infections were identified so the incidence rate of nosocomial infection in this ward was 3.29%. Fifteen babies identified with early onset neonatal nosocomial infection and the rest have presented with late onset neonatal infections. In order of frequency, the sites of infection were: primary bloodstream (84.4%) and pneumonia (15.62%). Coagulase negative staphylococci were the most common bacteria (43.74%) isolated in these patients. Other isolated bacteria were Klebsiella pneumonia (31.42%) and other gram negative bacilli such as E.coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Acintobacter spp. The mechanical ventilation and umbilical catheter were associated with nosocomial infections as risk factors in our study (p<0.01).
Conclusion: Our findings show that the neonatal intensive care unit of Ghaem hospital has low rate of nosocomial infections. However, as neonatal intensive care unit is an area of great concern in terms of nosocomial infection, preventive measures especially hand washing should be intensified.
