Relative frequency of health care-associated pathogens by infection site at a university hospital from 1980 to 2008

• Published in: American journal of infection control Vol. 40; no. 5; pp. 416 - 420
• Main Authors: Kang, JaHyun, BSN, MPH, Sickbert-Bennett, Emily E., PhD, Brown, Vickie M., RN, MPH, Weber, David J., MD, MPH, Rutala, William A., PhD, MPH
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.06.2012; Elsevier; Mosby-Year Book, Inc
• Subjects: Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacterial infections; Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cross infection; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Disease prevention; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Fungi - classification; Fungi - isolation & purification; General aspects; Health care-associated pathogen; Hospital surveillance; Hospitals, University; Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models; Humans; Infection Control; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Medical schools; Medical sciences; Mycoses - epidemiology; Mycoses - microbiology; Nonnative species; Nosocomial; Pathogens; Prevalence; Relative frequency; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Sepsis - epidemiology; Sepsis - microbiology; Surgical Wound Infection - epidemiology; Surgical Wound Infection - microbiology; Urinary Tract Infections - epidemiology; Urinary Tract Infections - microbiology; Cross infection; Health care-associated pathogen; Hospital surveillance; Nosocomial; Relative frequency; Prevention; Nosocomial infection; Surveillance; Check; Hospital
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2011.06.013

Background We describe the relative frequency of health care-associated pathogens by infection site over 29 years using hospital-wide surveillance data from a large academic hospital. Methods Comprehensive hospital-wide surveillance was provided by trained infection preventionists using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions. Five 5-year blocks and one 4-year block were created for each site: bloodstream infections (BSI), urinary tract infections (UTI), respiratory tract infections (RTI), and surgical site infections (SSI). The blocks of relative frequency of health care-associated pathogens were compared by χ2 analysis, and trends for each pathogen were estimated by regression analysis. Results At least 1 pathogen was isolated from 28,208 (83.5%) of 33,797 health care-associated infections (HAI). Staphylococcus aureus , coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Enterococcus species, and Clostridium difficile and other anaerobes significantly increased, whereas Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Klebsiella species, Enterobacter species, and other streptococci significantly decreased in the relative proportion of pathogens during the study period. By infection site, results showed significant increasing trends of S aureus in UTI, RTI, and SSI; CoNS in BSI and SSI; Candida in SSI; and Enterococcus in BSI and UTI. Conclusion Significant changes in relative frequency of health care-associated pathogens by infection site occurred over the 29-year period. These findings have implications for implementation of infection prevention strategies.