Epidemiologic patterns of nosocomial infections in 10 Oklahoma hospitals

The epidemiology of nosocomial infections was studied for 5 years in 10 Oklahoma hospitals. These were categorized into small and large hospitals. The seven small hospitals averaged 47 beds and the three large hospitals averaged 266 beds. Overall, most of the infected patients were < 5 years of > 60 years of age. Females accounted for the majority of the infections. In general, the three most common sites of infection were the urinary tract, surgical wounds, and the lower respiratory tract. Escherichia coli was the single most frequently identified agent followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The most frequently reported risk factors among patients acquiring a nosocomial infection were the use of prior antibiotics, indwelling urinary catheters, and intravenous catheters or cut-down. The specific problems associated with nosocomial infections, such as sites of infection, risks of infection, and the types of organisms isolated, essentially had not changed much since the 1960s, the 1970s, and for most of the 1980s.