[Hospital infection prevention in an intensive care unit]

Aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the hospital infection preventive procedures adopted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the "S. Camillo-Forlanini" hospital in Rome. First the following prevention protocols were analysed: invasive procedures (intubation, CVC and urinary catheter), surveillance cultures, infection management and antimicrobial prophylaxis. Comparison with international guidelines was carried out and protocols enforcement by the personnel was verified. Secondly a one year longitudinal surveillance study was performed in order to monitor the following site-specific infection rates: pneumonia (PNE), blood stream infections (BSI), urinary tract infections (UTI), surgical site infections (SSI). According to CDC definitions all patients developing infection 48 hours or more after ward admission were included. Furthermore risk factors (i.e. age, sex, SAPS II), invasive procedures (i.e. endotracheal intubation, vascular and urinary catheterisation), microbiological isolates and their antibiotic susceptibility were screened. Overall 302 patients (191 men and 111 women) were admitted; age 55.1 +/- 20.7 years (mean), SAPS II 42.4 +/- 16.2 (mean) and average ward stay 12.5 +/- 21.7 days. Crude mortality was 15.9%. Results showed a total of 37 infection episodes (20 PNE , 7 BSI, 8 UTI and 2 SSI) in 33 patients (10.9%). Infection and mortality rates were among the lowest registered in other italian ICU's. Standardized infection rates associated to invasive procedures were: Ventilator-associated PNE rate (7.8/1000), central venous catheter-associated BSI rate (2.2/1000), urinary catheter-associated UTI rate (2.1/1000). The first (PNE) was higher than the NNIS mean rate, whwreas BSI and urinary catheter associated rates were minor than the mean rates reported by NNIS. Gram-negatives were 61.7%, gram-positives 27.6% and Candida spp. 10.6%. The results confirm the ICU successful preventive strategy.