HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATED URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE

Abstract

Introduction:  Health care associated infections (HCAIs) or hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are infections that occur during hospitalization but they are neither present nor incubating before hospital admission. Health care–associated urinary tract infection (UTI) is an important cause of morbidity and increased health care costs in hospitals. Rapid advances in medical field, injudicious use of antibiotics and better adaptation of organisms to the hospital environment contribute to increase in HAIs. There are additional patient safety concerns associated with urinary catheter insertion, like patient discomfort, activity restriction, discharge delays, and the potential development of a reservoir of multidrug-resistant organisms that can be spread to other patient. 

Material and Methods: Patients admitted in wards of medicine department were included in the present study. Patients who were admitted for at least for past 48 hours, or readmitted in less than 14 days after their discharge from hospital. Sociodemographic data from all the included patients was collected from medical records. Clinical history was obtained from all the patients. Signs of HAI were observed and recorded. Bacteremia was defined as presence of bacteria in the blood confirmed by at least one positive blood culture.

Results: A total of 238 patients were included in the study who were admitted in the medicine wards. Out of 238 patients included in the study, 31 (13.02%) presented one or several signs suggestive of HAI and they received microbiological tests. 20 (8.40%) cases were confirmed or potential HAI. Of the 238 patients 109 (54.20%) were male and 129 (45.79%) were female. 31 patients were diagnosed as HAI patients of which 14 (45.16%) were male and 17 (54.83%) were female. Mean age of HAI patients was 54.21 ± 17.41while total mean of age was 46.52 ± 16.74. Mean age of male with HAI 52.41 ± 19.53 and female was 53.46 ± 16.77. Of the total 7 culture positive patients with HAI   Escherichia coli was isolated in 3 cases, Klebsiella pneumonia in 2 caesa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated in 1 cases each. Conclusion: Prevalence of HAI in Urinary tract infection was 13.02% in this study. Preventive measures, periodic active surveillance over a longer period is required to reduce the rate of healthcare associated UTI.

Keywords: UTI, HAI, Health care associated infections, Catheter-associated UTI