Risk factors for nosocomial infection

Area of Science:

• Hospital epidemiology
• Infection control
• Public health

Background:

• Evaluating nosocomial infections is complex due to patient variability, diverse surveillance methods, and confusion between incidence and prevalence.
• Standardized approaches are needed for accurate risk assessment and effective infection control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a standardized approach for evaluating nosocomial infections at a large municipal hospital.
• To enable valid epidemiologic comparisons and cost-effectiveness analyses of infection control measures.

Main Methods:

• Systematic identification of potential risk factors for nosocomial infection.
• Calculation of relative risk per patient, per day, using bedside criteria and available data.
• Analysis of factors including underlying diseases, procedures, hospital services, age, sex, race, and admission urgency.

Main Results:

• A feasible method to calculate individual patient risk for nosocomial infection was developed.
• Calculating risk per day, not per admission, effectively separates long-stay effects from high daily risk.
• Underlying diseases, procedures, hospital services, and demographic factors were identified as significant risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Standardized risk assessment is achievable and improves the evaluation of nosocomial infections.
• This approach facilitates accurate comparisons between hospital populations and cost-effectiveness analysis.
• Identifying specific risk factors allows for targeted and efficient infection control interventions.