PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to document the point prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the public primary healthcare wards, which treat both acute and long-term care patients. We also assessed the risk factors for HAI and the consumption of alcoholic hand rubs and antibiotics.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in northern Finland in 2006 including all healthcare centers in the Oulu University Hospital district.
RESULTS: There were 1,190 patients eligible for study in 44 public primary healthcare wards. The point prevalence of HAIs was 10.1%. The most common infections were urinary tract infections (30%), lower respiratory tract infections (27%), and skin and soft tissue infections (20%). The prevalence of HAIs did not depend on whether wards gave acute care, long-term care, or both acute and long-term care. In the multivariate analysis, the main risk factors for HAI were: more than three antibiotic prescriptions during the previous year, fully bedridden, renal disease, venous catheter, age over 80 years, previous hospitalization during the past six months, and implanted foreign material. A prophylactic antibiotic was a protecting factor. Antimicrobial treatment was given for 18% of the study population and another 18% received prophylactic antimicrobials.
CONCLUSIONS: HAIs are common in Finnish primary healthcare wards and there is a need to improve everyday practices in the wards in order to reduce the number of HAIs. It is also important to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics.
Written by:
Puhto T, Ylipalosaari P, Ohtonen P, Syrjala H. Are you the author?
Department of Infection Control, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Reference: Infection. 2011 Jun;39(3):217-23. Epub 2011 May 15.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-011-0123-7
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21573945