Four country healthcare-associated infection prevalence survey: pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections

Humphreys, H., Newcombe, Robert Gordon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4400-8867, Enstone, J., Smyth, E. T. M., McIlvenny, G., Davies, E. and Spencer, R. 2010. Four country healthcare-associated infection prevalence survey: pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections. Journal of Hospital Infection 74 (3) , pp. 266-270. 10.1016/j.jhin.2009.10.010

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Abstract

In 2006, the Hospital Infection Society was funded by the respective health services in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to conduct a prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infection (HCAI). Here, we report the prevalence of pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infection other than pneumonia (LRTIOP) in these four countries. The prevalence of all HCAIs was 7.59% (5743 out of 75 694). Nine hundred (15.7%) of these infections were pneumonia, and 402 (7.0%) were LRTIOP. The prevalence of both infections was higher for males than for females, and increased threefold from those aged <35 to those aged >85 years (P < 0.001). At the time of the survey or in the preceding seven days, 23.7% and 18.2% of patients with pneumonia and LRTIOP, respectively, were mechanically ventilated compared to 5.2% of patients in the whole study population. Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the cause of pneumonia and LRTIOP in 7.6% and 18.1% of patients, respectively (P < 0.001). More patients with LRTIOP (4.2%) had concurrent diarrhoea due to Clostridium difficile compared to patients with pneumonia (2.4%), but this did not reach statistical significance. Other HCAIs were present in 137 (15.2%) of patients with pneumonia and 66 (16.4%) of those with LRTIOP. The results suggest that reducing instrumentation, such as mechanical ventilation where possible, should help reduce infection. The higher prevalence of MRSA as a cause of LRTIOP suggests a lack of specificity in identifying the microbial cause and the association with C. difficile emphasises the need for better use of antibiotics.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Uncontrolled Keywords:	clostridium difficile, healthcare-associated infection, lower respiratory tract infection, meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, pneumonia
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0195-6701
Last Modified:	20 Oct 2022 07:39
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/26003

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