Healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major public health problem and patient safety threat worldwide. Scant information is available on the occurrence HAI and antimicrobial susceptibility of responsible pathogens in Ukrainian intencive care units (ICUs). The aim: To evaluate the prevalence of HAIs and antimicrobial resistance of the responsible pathogens.

Materials and methods: The study included 642 patients and 262 samples isolated from patients with microbiologically proven HAI. The identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of the cultures were determined, using automated microbiology analyzer. Some antimicrobial susceptibility test used Kirby - Bauer antibiotic testing. Interpretative criteria were those suggested by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.

Results: Among 642 patients, 148 HAIs were observed (23.1%). Death during hospitalization was reported in 20.1% HAI cases. Pneumonia (47.3%), blood stream infection (21.6%), and urinary tract infection (14.9) together accounted for 83.8% of all HAIs reported. Most cases of these infections were device-associated. Considering all HAI types together, Klebsiella pneumoniae were most commonly reported, accounting for 21.8% of all organisms, followed by Acinetobacter baumanni (14.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.4%) and Escherichia coli (9.4%). 59.8% and 6.6% of Staphylococcus aureus were oxacillin and teicoplanin resistant, respectively. Third-generation cephalosporins resistance was found in 53.8% of K.pneumoniae and 32.1% of E.coli isolates; and carbapenem resistance in 78.6% of A. baumanni and 29.3% of K. pneumoniae isolates.

Conclusions: Infection control priorities in intensive care units should include preventing nosocomial pneumonia, blood stream infection, urinary tract infection and of deviceassociated infections.