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Prevalence of Nosocomial Infections After Surgery in Greek Hospitals: Results of Two Nationwide Surveys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Achilleas Gikas ,
Maria Roumbelaki ,
John Pediaditis ,
Pavlos Nikolaidis ,
Stamatina Levidiotou ,
Sofia Kartali ,
John Kioumis ,
Efstratios Maltezos ,
Symeon Metalidis  and
Eleftherios Anevlavis
...Show all authors
Achilleas Gikas*
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Maria Roumbelaki
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
John Pediaditis
Affiliation:
Venizelion General Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Pavlos Nikolaidis
Affiliation:
‘AXEPA’ General Hospital of Thessalonica, Thessalonica, Greece
Stamatina Levidiotou
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Sofia Kartali
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece
John Kioumis
Affiliation:
Papanikolaou' University Hospital of Thessalonica, Thessalonica, Greece
Efstratios Maltezos
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece
Symeon Metalidis
Affiliation:
‘AXEPA’ General Hospital of Thessalonica, Thessalonica, Greece
Eleftherios Anevlavis
Affiliation:
‘Agia Olga’ General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
George Haliotis
Affiliation:
General Hospital of Halkis, Halkis, Greece
Hariton Kolibiris
Affiliation:
‘Agia Olga’ General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
Yiannis Tselentis
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
*
University Hospital of Heraklion1352/71110, Crete, Greece
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Abstract

Objective:

To determine the frequency and type of nosocomial infections (NIs) (especially surgical-site infections [SSIs]), risk factors, and the type and duration of antibiotic use among surgical patients in Greek hospitals.

Design:

Two point-prevalence studies.

Setting:

Fourteen Greek hospitals.

Patients:

Those in the hospitals during two prevalence surveys undergoing surgery during their stay.

Results:

In the 1999 survey, 129 of 1,037 surgical patients had developed 148 NIs (14.3%). A total of 1,093 operations were registered, and 49 SSIs (4.5%) were found. In the 2000 survey, 82 of 868 surgical patients had developed 88 NIs (10.1%). A total of 902 operations were registered, and 38 SSIs were detected (4.2%). The median length of stay (LOS) for surgical patients without SSI was 10.0 days (range, 1-19 days); for patients who developed SSI it was 30 days (range, 1-52 days; P < .001). The median LOS prior to surgery for patients without SSI was 1 day (range, 0-4 days); for patients who developed SSI it was 3 days (range, 0-7.5 days; P < .001). Among 30 possible risk factors studied, wound class, LOS prior to surgery, and central venous catheterization were independent predictors of SSI. Median durations of prophylactic antibiotic therapy were 4 days (range, 1-14 days) and 6 days (range, 1-16 days) in the 1999 and 2000 surveys, respectively.

Conclusion:

Surgical patients in Greek hospitals suffered higher rates of SSI than did surgical patients in other developed countries while prophylactic antibiotics were used excessively.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , April 2004 , pp. 319 - 324
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2004

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