Abstract
ObjectivesThe study aimed to determine the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and their sites in a cardiac surgery service, as well as to determine if gender and age were risk factors for infection and to quantify mortality and increase in the hospital length of stay (LOS) due to HAI.MethodsMedical records of patients who underwent cardiac surgery from January 2012 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Data on age, gender, mortality, occurrence of HAI during hospitalization, and LOS were collected. Continuous variables were analyzed using Student's t-test, while categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test or chi-square test.ResultsAmong the 195 patients available, the HAI rate in our service was 22.6%, with female gender being a risk factor for infections (odds ratio [OR]=2.23; P=0.015). Age was also a significant risk factor for infections, with a difference in the mean age between the group with and without infection (P=0.02). The occurrence of an infectious process increased the LOS in 14 days (P<0.001) and resulted in higher mortality rates (P=0.112). A patient who has HAI was approximately 19 times more likely to remain hospitalized for more than nine days (P<0.001).ConclusionAge and gender were risk factors for the development of HAI and the occurrence of an infectious process during hospitalization significantly increases the LOS. These findings may guide future actions aimed at reducing the impact of HAI on the health system.
Highlights
Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are one of the biggest challenges during healthcare for those who undergo a surgical procedure
All patients underwent cardiac surgery, with 101 (51.8%) patients submitted to isolated myocardial revascularization (MRV), 71 (36.4%) to isolated valve replacement/repair, 11 (5.6%) to MRV plus valve replacement, 7 (3.6%) to interatrial communication closure; 4 (2.1%) to MRV plus valve repair and 1 (0.5%) to partial pericardiectomy (Table 1)
The present study demonstrates that isolated MRV is the most common procedure performed by our cardiovascular surgery service
Summary
Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are one of the biggest challenges during healthcare for those who undergo a surgical procedure. There has been an elevation in life expectancy in recent decades and the rise in the incidence of noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) These two processes affect the public administration, and the surgical field, because they elevate the risks and costs of the procedure, as well as the increased length of stay (LOS) and the probability of infections[1,2]. The LOS of individuals who develop HAI is significantly increased compared to those without infection[6,7] This excess of time that the patient remains in the hospital environment generates negative impacts for both the user and the health system as a whole, with gradually higher costs[10]
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