Objective: To evaluate the occurrence and the structure of nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients, and also to indicate the possibility of lowering the infection rates in the St. Lukas District Hospital in Tarnow.
Material and methods: Data from 207 673 patients hospitalized in the years 2005-2011 have been collected and analyzed using standard statistical tools and definitions of nosocomial infections, issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Results: The surgical side infections (SSI) were proved to be the most commonly found, with 20% of all infections. There were also frequent bloodstream infections (BSI) 19%, as well as urinary tract (UTI) and gastrointestinal infections (IPP) 18%, while pneumonia (PNEU) appeared to be slightly less common, with 13% of all infections. The other types of infections represented 11%. The infection rates for clean surgical sites per 100 clean procedures were on average 0.7. Subsequently, average amounts per 1000 person-days were as follows: 16.7 for pneumonia (VAP, ventilator-associated pneumonia), 2.4 for catheter-related urinary tract infections (UTI), and 6.2 for bloodstream infections (CLA-BSI, central line-associated).
Conclusions: Knowing the structure of infections is crucial for planning precise and cautious actions aimed at reducing the frequency of nosocomial infections.