Incidence of Nosocomial Infections: Application to Surgical-Site Infections

Nosocomial infections, so called healthcare-associated infections (HAI), occur in about 1 of 20 in-hospital patients. Most of these infections are caused by pyogenic bacteria in urinary tract (30%), lower respiratory tract (20%), blood stream (10-15%) or surgical site (10-15%). They occur mostly in intensive care units and in patients with underlying conditions (elderly, immuno-compromised, etc.). Their associated mortality, potential disability and extra financial cost have a significant impact on the healthcare system. A part of HAI are caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. Nowadays, highly or totally drug-resistant bacteria are emerging, rending the antibiotic treatment ineffective (ex: carbapenemase-producing enterobacteria). Surgical site infections raise particular problems in terms of diagnosis and post-operative follow-up, especially for ambulatory surgery. The occurrence of delayed infections in patients undergoing hip or knee prosthesis surgery should be also considered. Control of HAI is organized for more than 25 years in France, based primarily on the implementation of standard hygiene precautions, rationalized antibiotics usage, and epidemiologic surveillance to provide indicators of effectiveness. These measures are the keys of a global policy for improving patient safety all along the patient cares from the hospital to the community.