Survey on hospital-acquired urinary tract infection in neurological intensive care unit

This study aimed to explore the causes, incidence, and risk factors of urinary tract infection patients in neurological intensive care unit (ICU). Patients (n = 916) admitted to the neurological ICU from January 2005 to December 2010 were retrospectively surveyed for urinary tract infections. There were 246 patients in neurological ICU who were diagnosed with hospital-acquired urinary tract infection during that period of time (26.9%). Forty-three cases were upper urinary tract infection, and 203 cases were lower urinary tract infection. The top three strains were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Older age (UTI rate, 22.6%), female patients (21.7%), hospital stay for more than 7 days (16.7%), diabetes (11.7%), and catheterization (21.1%) were the risk factors for hospital-acquired urinary tract infection. There is a high incidence of nosocomial urinary tract infection in the neurological intensive care unit. Active prevention program and surveillance need to be carried out in neurological ICU, especially in those with risk factors.