Prevalence, Microbiological Profile, and Risk Factors of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Intensive Care Units: A...

Hospital infection prevention is critical to patient safety, yet data on the prevalence and contributing factors of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Aljouf, Saudi Arabia, are scarce. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence, microbiological profile, and associated risk factors of HAIs among intensive care unit (ICU) patients in a referral hospital between January 2020 and December 2023. Medical records of 260 ICU patients were reviewed for demographic details, comorbidities, infection types, pathogens, and invasive device use. Forty patients (15.38%) developed HAIs with the highest prevalence in 2020 (50.0%). Infections were more common in males (56.5%) and those aged ≥56 years (54.6%). The predominant infections were catheter-associated urinary tract infections (47.5%), ventilator-associated pneumonia (35.0%), and central line-associated bloodstream infections (17.5%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (35.0%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (27.5%), pathogens commonly associated with multidrug resistance, were the most frequently isolated organisms. All HAI cases involved invasive device use with the use of three or more devices significantly increasing infection risk (p < 0.05). Additionally, 85% of infected patients had chronic conditions, primarily hypertension or diabetes. These findings emphasize the urgent need for strengthened infection control practices and targeted antimicrobial strategies to reduce HAIs and improve ICU patient outcomes in underreported regions.