Nosocomial infection profile at an university hospital

Abstract

This is a retrospective epidemiological documental study carried out at university hospital in Fortaleza,Ceará, Northeasten Brazil. Its main aim was to verify the prevalence rate of nosocomial infections, their types, causativepathogens, and profile of sensitivity of these pathogens to antibiotics. We analyzed 512 nosocomial infection notificationforms which occurred throughout 2007. The average annual prevalence rate of nosocomial infection was 8.2%. The totalnumber of nosocomial infections included 149 (29.1%) records of pneumonia, 136 (26.6%) bloodstream infections,87(17%) urinary tract infections, 57 (11.1%) central catheter infections, and 47 ( 9.2%) surgical site infections. Majormicroorganisms encountered in these infections were as follows: Klebsiella pneumoniae (22%), Staphylococcus aureus(20%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14%), Acinetobacter sp (13%), Escherichia coli (10%), Enterobacter sp (9%) andCandida sp. (9%). The antibiotic sensitivity profile of the two predominant pathogens included: Klebsiella pneumoniae(over 50% sensitivity to meropenem, imipenem, gentamicin, amikacin, piperacillin, and tazobactam), Staphylococcusaureus (resistant to erythromycin (66.0%), to oxacillin (77, 3%), and to penicillin (84.9%)).