Nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care unit, a prospective study in a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir

Background: Nosocomial infections are an important cause of mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Therefore, in this study, the incidence and prevalence of nosocomial infections were determined in NICUs of a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir, and the causative bacteria were identified in order to provide potential solutions to control the infections in these hospitals.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-prospective study in which the cases of nosocomial infections were examined in Nicu of our hospital, which is a tertiary care Pediatric hospital, during 1 year (from June 2013 until May 2014) based on clinical findings, medical and nursing reports of patients, and laboratory results.
Results: Of the 3100 patients hospitalized in NICUs of our hospitals, 302 patients were diagnosed with nosocomial infections. The incidence rate of nosocomial infections was 9.74% with 52.4% bacteremia, 32.69% pneumonia, 5.77% urinary tract infections, 5.29% wound infections, and 3.85% necrotizing enterocolitis. There was a statistically significant relationship between invasive procedures (such as umbilical catheters, central venous catheters, surgery, and TPN) and sepsis (P = 0.001). The relationships between urinary tract infection and urinary catheter (P = 0.000), and aggressive procedures (such as suctioning and intubation) and pneumonia (P = 0.001) were also statistically significant.
Conclusion: Incidence of nosocomial infections in premature and low birth weight newborns is considered as a health threat. The findings of this research reiterate the importance of giving further attention to prevention and control of nosocomial infections in the NICU.