Healthcare-Associated Infection Specificities’ in a Tunisian University Hospital: Overview of the Results

Background: Our study was conducted, in university hospital center Farhat Hached of Sousse (city in Tunisian center-east), within healthcare-associated infections (HAI) epidemiological surveillance program.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence in order to develop appropriate strategies for prevention and control in our hospital.

Methods: Point-prevalence survey, including all patients who had been hospitalized for at least 48 hours, measuring prevalence of HAI a “given day”, with only one passage by service. Criteria of Centers for Disease Control Atlanta USA, Prevention National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance and National Healthcare Safety Network system, were used and adapted to our context to define HAI. Study was performed using a questionnaire completed by the investigator in its passage by each service.

Results: 312 patients were involved. The prevalence of infected patients was 12.5% and that of HAI was 14.5%. Infections on peripheral venous catheter dominated (42.2%) among all identified HAI. The prevalence of respiratory infections is the highest. Microbiological documentation was available only in 28.8% of HAI. Negative Gram Bacilli were the causative germs most commonly isolated (66%). Indeed, 38.4% of study’s population has received antibiotherapy in the last 3 months.

Conclusion: predominance of infections on peripheral venous catheter needs to be subject of specific prevention actions. Elsewhere, we should urge rational use of antibiotics.