This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Health care-associated infections decreased in pediatric, neonatal ICUs
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
From 2007 to 2012, the number of health care-associated infections significantly decreased among children in pediatric and neonatal ICUs, according to study findings in Pediatrics.
Stephen W. Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues analyzed data reported to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network by 64 pediatric and 173 neonatal ICUs. Researchers specifically looked at rates for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), ventilator-associated pneumonias and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
Neonatal ICUs had a median of 22 beds and pediatric ICUs had a median of 12 beds.
During the study period, neonatal ICUs reported more than 5 million patient days, 1.2 million central-line days and 380,000 ventilator days vs. 919,000 patient days, 403,000 central-line days, 175,000 ventilator days and 110,000 urinary catheter days in pediatric ICUs.
Neonatal ICUs had a median of 239 central-line days per quarter vs. 152 in pediatric ICUs. The median number of ventilator days per quarter was 56 in neonatal ICUs and 98 in pediatric ICUs. Pediatric ICUs also reported a median of 96 urinary catheter days.
Among neonatal ICUs, incidence rates of CLABSIs steadily decreased from 4.9 to 1.5 per 1,000 line days and ventilator-associated pneumonia rates decreased from 1.6 to 0.6 per 1,000 ventilator days.
Infants with birth weights of 1,500 g and lower were more likely to develop CLABSIs and ventilator-associated pneumonia than infants who weighed more than 2,500 g at birth.
Incidence rates of CLABSIs decreased from 4.7 to 1 per 1,000 line days among pediatric ICUs. The rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia also decreased in pediatric ICUs, from 1.9 to 0.7 per 1,000 ventilator days. Catheter-associated UTIs did not significantly change during the study period.
“Over the past several years, US hospitals made substantial improvements in preventing harm to hospitalized neonates and children by reducing health care-associated infections. Health care-associated infection incidence rates fell dramatically among neonates of all birth weights and among children, reducing their risk of morbidity and mortality,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts