Epidemiology of nosocomial bacterial infections in a neonatal and pediatric Tunisian intensive care unit

Objective. - The authors had for aim to describe the epidemiology of nosocomial bacterial infections in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit of the Tunis children's hospital. Design. - A prospective surveillance study was made from January 2004 to December 2004. All patients remaining in the intensive care unit for more than 48 It were included. CDC criteria were applied for the diagnosis of nosocomial infections. Results. - 340 patients including 249 (73%) neonates were included. 22 patients presented with 22 nosocomial bacterial infections. The incidence and the density incidence rates of nosocomial bacterial infections were 6.5% and 7.8 per 1,000 patient-days, respectively. Two types of infection were found: bloodstream infections (68.2%) and pneumonias (22.7%). Bloodstream infections had an incidence and a density incidence rate of 4.4% and 15.3 per 1,000 catheter-days, respectively. Pneumonia had an incidence and a density incidence rate of 2% and 4.4 per 1,000 mechanical ventilation-days, respectively. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria (68%) with Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates accounting for 22.7%. The most common isolate in bloodstream infections was K. Pneunioniae (26.7%), which was multiple drug-resistant in 85% of the cases, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common isolate in pneumonia (28.6%). Associated factors of nosocomial infection were invasive devices and colonization with multiple drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Conclusions. - The major type of nosocomial bacterial infections in our unit was bloodstream infection and the majority of infections resulted from Gram-negative bacteria. Factors associated with nosocomial bacterial infections were identified in our unit. (C) 2006 Elsevier SAS.