ABSTRACT
To determine the rate of device-associated healthcare-associated infections [DA-HAIs] at a respiratory intensive care unit [RICU] and in the pediatric intensive care units [PICUs] of member hospitals of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium [INICC] in Egypt. A prospective cohort DA-HAI surveillance study was conducted from December 2008 to July 2010 by applying the methodology of the INICC and the definitions of the NHSN-CDC. In the RICU, 473 patients were hospitalized for 2930 d and acquired 155 DA-HAIs, with an overall rate of 32.8%. There were 52.9 DA-HAIs per 1000 ICU-days. In the PICUs, 143 patients were hospitalized for 1535 d and acquired 35 DA-HAIs, with an overall rate of 24.5%. There were 22.8 DA-HAIs per 1000 ICU-days. The central line-associated blood stream infection [CLABSI] rate was 22.5 per 1000 line-days in the RICU and 18.8 in the PICUs; the ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP] rate was 73.4 per 1000 ventilator-days in the RICU and 31.8 in the PICUs; and the catheter-associated urinary tract infection [CAUTI] rate was 34.2 per 1000 catheter-days in the RICU. DA-HAIs in the ICUs in Egypt pose greater threats to patient safety than in industrialized countries, and infection control programs, including surveillance and guidelines, must become a priority