Comparison of the Distribution of Healthcare-Associated Infections and Causative Agents Between Intensive Care Units and Other Clinics.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the trends in the distribution of healthcare associated infectious (HAIs) and causative agents in intensive care units (ICUs) and other clinics.

STUDY DESIGN

Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Health Sciences University, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkiye, from 2015 to 2022.

METHODOLOGY

The study included patients who were diagnosed with HAIs and admitted to both the ICUs and the clinics. The data of HAIs identified between 2015-2022 were accessed and analysed retrospectively from the surveillance records of the IPC committee between 28.05.2023-07.08.2023.

RESULTS

There was a decreasing trend observed in both ICU and clinics regarding the ratio of patients developing HAIs and the overall HAI rate (all p-values <0.001). These two measures were found to be significantly lower in the years 2019-2022 compared to the years 2015-2018. Over the years, particularly after 2020, a significant increasing trend in carbapenem resistance was observed in E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa (p=0.009, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). The ratio of patients developing HAIs in the ICUs was higher than in the clinics (p<0.001). There was an increasing trend in the ratio of pneumonia and bloodstream infection (BSI) in ICUs.

CONCLUSION

The increasing ratio of BSI and pneumonia in ICUs highlighted the need to review infection control bundles. Carbapenem resistance has been increasing over the years, suggesting that antimicrobial description and consumption practices should be re-evaluated, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEY WORDS

Intensive Care Unit, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance, Infection prevention and control, Antibiotic resistance.