Experience with detailed surveillance of nosocomial infection

Infection rates have been determined in a 332 bed university hospital using an efficient surveillance program. This computerized program analyzed, summarized and returned infection reports in six days. The efficiency rate of this system was 80 per cent as determined by prevalence survey. The mean nosocomial infection rate for the 12 month study period was 10.8 per cent. Neurology, medicine, neurosurgery, surgery and urology ahd the highest attack rates. Urinary tract infections composed 44 per cent of the total and predominated on seven of the 11 services. Escherichia coli predominated in infections of the urinary tract, surgical wounds and blood and ranked third in respiratory infections. Escherichia coli, klebsiella, pseudomonas and proteus mirabilis accounted for 61 per cent of the isolates. There is a need for efficient reporting of hospital infections to establish effective preventives.