Device-associated infection rates and extra length of stay in an intensive care unit of a university hospital in Wroclaw, Poland: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium's (INICC) findings.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine device-associated health care-associated infections (DA-HAI) rates, microbiologic profile, bacterial resistance, and length of stay in one intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital member of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) in Poland.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective DA-HAI surveillance study was conducted on an adult ICU from January 2007 to May 2010. Data were collected by implementing the methodology developed by INICC and applying the definitions of DA-HAI provided by the National Healthcare Safety Network at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RESULTS: A total of 847 patients hospitalized for 9386 days acquired 206 DA-HAIs, an overall rate of 24.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.5-27.4), and 21.9 (95% CI, 19.0-25.1) DA-HAIs per 1000 ICU-days. Central line-associated bloodstream infection rate was 4.01 (95% CI, 2.8-5.6) per 1000 catheter-days, ventilator-associated pneumonia rate was 18.2 (95% CI, 15.5-21.6) per 1000 ventilator-days, and catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate was 4.8 (95% CI, 3.5-6.5) per 1000 catheter-days. Length of stay was 6.9 days for those patients without DA-HAI, 10.0 days for those with central line-associated bloodstream infection, 15.5 days for those with ventilator-associated pneumonia, and 15.0 for those with catheter-associated urinary tract infection.

CONCLUSIONS: Most DA-HAI rates are lower in Poland than in INICC, but higher than in the National Healthcare Safety Network, expressing the feasibility of lowering infection rates and increasing patient safety.