Monitoring nosocomial infections using a laboratory-based system

In this paper we report the results of a nosocomial infections surveillance system "Laboratory Based". The system started in August 1995 at San Giovanni Hospital, Rome. All the specimens sent to the Microbiology Laboratory have been registered using a computerized input form. 12,204 forms, attributable to patients between 0 and 97 years (median 43 years) resulted evaluable. The global rate of incidence of nosocomial infection was, in the study period, 16 per one thousand person/day. The rate of incidence, when stratified for the medical, surgical and emergency boards, was, respectively, 19 per one thousand person/day in the medical facilities, 15 per one thousand person/day in surgical and 17 per one thousand person/year in emergency facilities. The nosocomial infections incidence correlated well with the age of the patients and the time of bed stay. The bulk of infections were localized to the respiratory apparatus. Localization to urinary apparatus and sepsis follow. The isolated microbes were (38%) gram-negative microbes; the 38% of the isolates are gram-negative microbes and the 24% are Mycetes. Our data validate the surveillance system in a great hospital of Rome metropolitan area.