Survey of Nosocomial Infections in Patients Admitted to Nekoei Hospital of Qom City in 2012, Iran

Nosocomial infections are known as an important public health problem worldwide, which impose a significant burden on patients and health care system and cause serious complications and problems. The present study aimed to determine the rate of nosocomial infections in patients hospitalized in Nekoei-Hedayati Hospital of Qom city.

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 12668 patients hospitalized in wards of the Nekoei Hospital of Qom in a one-year period from April 2012 to March 2013. Data were collected based on the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS) questionnaire to diagnose main nosocomial infections (respiratory, urinary, blood, surgical site, and burn). The significance level was considered as p<0.05.

In the present study, of total 12668 patients admitted during months of year 2012, 97 patients (mean prevalence, 0.76%) were diagnosed with nosocomial infections. The highest rates of infection respectively belonged to the surgical site infection (53.9%) and respiratory infection (35%). The lowest rate of infection were reported for urinary tract infection (6%), burn infection (5.1%), and blood infection (with no reported cases). The highest rate of infection was related to ICU with incidence of 6.56% (42 cases) and burn unit 5.64% (17 cases).

Considering that more than half of cases of nosocomial infections in inpatients is allocated to surgical site infection, therefore compliance with nosocomial infection control guidelines and use of invasive therapeutic procedures, only if necessary, along with health education could be helpful in the prevention of such infections.