Prevalence study of nosocomial infections in University Hospitals in South Algeria, February 2017

Abstract

Introduction Nosocomial infections or hospital-acquired infection (HAI) are a real public health problem because of their frequency, severity and socioeconomic costs. Prevalence surveys are the basic tool for surveillance of nosocomial infections and have even been recommended by WHO for national or international studies. Methods In order to estimate the prevalence of hospital-acquired infection and research factors associated with its occurrence, a one-day prevalence survey was conducted at the Tidjini Damerdji University Hospital, Algeria. To collect data, a questionnaire survey method was used. Results We studied 117 patients who had been present in the same ward for at least 48 h, and who had occupied a hospital bed between 05 to 09 February 2017. The overall prevalence of HAI was 17.94%. The sex ratio was 1.29. The average age was 48.95 with a standard deviation of 19.73 years. The average length of stay was 14.18 ± 18.62 days. The most frequently infected sites were the lungs (33.3%), surgical wounds (28.6%) and the urinary tract (23.8%). the most frequently isolated organisms were Gram negative rods (64.3%). The percentage of patients with intrinsic risk factor (61.90%). The percentage of patients with extrinsic exposure (90.47%). Conclusion This survey provided information on the prevalence of HAI in an Algerian hospital, the breakdown of infections, and HAI predisposing factors.