Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

88.3K

[Five steps to decreasing nosocomial infections in large immature premature infants: A quasi-experimental study]

Ana García González1, José Luis Leante Castellanos2, Carmen Fuentes Gutiérrez1

  • 1Sección de Neonatología, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucía, Cartagena, Murcia, España.

Anales De Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain : 2003)
|July 25, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Implementing five interventions significantly reduced hospital-related infections in preterm infants. This strategy lowered infection rates and decreased the need for mechanical ventilation, blood products, and vasoactive drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Infectious Disease Prevention
  • Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

  • Hospital-related infections pose a significant risk to vulnerable preterm infants.
  • Neonatal units require targeted strategies to mitigate infection incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of five interventions on hospital-acquired infection rates in a level III neonatal unit.
  • To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive infection control strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Quasi-experimental pre-post intervention study design.
  • Included preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation or birth weight <1,500g).
  • Interventions included hand hygiene optimization, central venous catheter protocols, breastfeeding promotion, rational antibiotic use, and multi-resistant bacteria surveillance.

Main Results:

  • A significant reduction in hospital-related infections from 8.7 to 2.7 per 1,000 patient-days (P<.05).
  • Statistically significant decreases in mechanical ventilation days, blood product usage, and vasoactive drug administration.
  • Thirty-three matched patients per period (pre- and post-intervention).

Conclusions:

  • The five-measure strategy effectively reduced hospital-acquired infection incidence in a high-risk neonatal unit.
  • Reduced infections correlated with decreased requirements for mechanical ventilation, blood products, and vasoactive drugs.
  • This approach offers a viable model for improving neonatal patient outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
BreastfeedingCatheter-associated infectionsEstrategias para disminuir las infeccionesInfecciones asociadas a catéterInfección relacionada con la asistencia sanitariaLactancia maternaNeonato prematuroNosocomial infectionPreterm neonateStrategies to reduce infections

More Related Videos

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol19:32

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol

Published on: February 18, 2012

29.1K
Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

786

Related Concept Videos

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures01:22

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Hand hygiene01:23

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Development of Human Microbiota01:30

Development of Human Microbiota

The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...