Nosocomial infection surveillance in an Egyptian neonatal intensive care unit

Nosocomial infections (NIs) have become a matter of major concern and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, anatomical sites and causative organisms of NI in an Egyptian NICU, and to assess the impact of NI on length of stay and mortality.

This was a descriptive hospital-based study carried out for 12 months in the NICU of the Mansoura University Children's Hospital. NI rates were calculated using different denominators (overall nosocomial infection rate, nosocomial infection incidence density, device-specific infection rates and device-days infection rates).

Of the 238 neonates evaluated, 49 developed 51 nosocomial infective episodes, equating to an incidence rate of 21.4% or 13.8 infections per 1000 bed-days. Pneumonia was the most frequently occurring infection (11.3%) followed by bloodstream infection (8.8%). The most frequently isolated organisms were Klebsiella spp. (33.3%) followed by Escherichia coli (21.6%). NIs were associated with prolonged hospital stay.

NI is a significant problem in the Mansoura University Children's Hospital NICU. Gram-negative bacteria, especially Klebsiella spp., were the predominant causes of neonatal NI, as has been described in other studies from developing countries.