ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe a nosocomial infection surveillance in a cardiology and thoracic diseases hospital in Northern Mexico during its initial months of activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective report of nosocomial infection surveillance performed by the infection control team with patient visits, clinical records, microbiology reports, and direct information obtained by health personnel. General and specific infection rates were analyzed by the chi 2 test and the Student t test. RESULTS: General infection rate was 4.99 during the 17 month period. Monthly infection rates changed significantly during infection control team vacations. By site of infection, surgical wound infection were the most common (1.14), followed by urinary tract infections (1.08), and bacteremia (0.72). However, when we grouped bacteremias and other catheter related infections, this intravascular access related infections were the most frequent (1.73). Gram positive organisms were most commonly isolated in nosocomial infections, except in pneumonias (gram negative organism) and urinary tract infections (Candida spp.). Mortality related to nosocomial infection was high (21.7%), and at least one third of those deaths was directly related to the infection. In hospital stay and cost were also increase with nosocomial infections. CONCLUSIONS: Nosocomial infection is common in interventional cardiology hospitals, producing high mortality and rising costs and length of stay. We need a more effective nosocomial infections surveillance system to eliminate changes in monthly case detection produced by the infection control team vacations, since this under-registry could result in lost of control of nosocomial infections and epidemic outbreak emergence.
