Scope and Magnitude of Nosocomial ICU Infections

Abstract

The scope and magnitude of nosocomial (ICU) infections is overwhelming, with a negative impact on both the added morbidity and the mortality, and as a consequence on the overall hospital charges and economic costs. Many studies come to similar results (1–6). This is not a special European, but also acknowledged to be a worldwide problem. It is special for the ICU, with considerably higher rates of nosocomial infection than in other hospital wards (2,7–10). Aggressive invasive diagnostics, multiple therapies and a plethora of invasive devices in combination with a temporarily compromised immunity renders the ICU patient population uniquely susceptible to nosocomial infections (11–14). Overall, intrinsic risk together with extrinsic factors make the ICU patient extremely vulnerable to nosocomial infections. As stated by Meakins et al. “Infection is their Achilles heel” (15). With the continuous recognition, the past few years, of new and more virulent organisms and with a rapid growth in antimicrobial resistance, the problem becomes even worse. Towards the year 2000 the medical profession will face the challenge of infections against which none of the current antimicrobial agents are effective; many clinicians unfortunately are not aware of this impending crisis (16).KeywordsNosocomial InfectionLower Respiratory Tract InfectionNational Nosocomial Infection SurveillanceInfection Control PolicyNosocomial Infection RateThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.