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Brief Report: Nosocomial Infection Rates in a Cancer Treatment Center

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Gayle V. Robinson ,
Bernard R. Tegtmeier  and
John A. Zaia
Gayle V. Robinson*
Affiliation:
Infection Control Office, Duarte, California Clinical Microbiology Section, Division of Clinical Pathology, Duarte, California Infectious Disease Section, Division of Pediatrics, Duarte, California City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
Bernard R. Tegtmeier
Affiliation:
Infection Control Office, Duarte, California Clinical Microbiology Section, Division of Clinical Pathology, Duarte, California Infectious Disease Section, Division of Pediatrics, Duarte, California City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
John A. Zaia
Affiliation:
Infection Control Office, Duarte, California Clinical Microbiology Section, Division of Clinical Pathology, Duarte, California Infectious Disease Section, Division of Pediatrics, Duarte, California City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
*
Infection Control Coordinator, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
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Abstract

This report describes the results of a prospective study of nosocomial infection in 7,714 patients hospitalized during a 24-month period at a cancer treatment center. An overall nosocomial infection rate of 9.3% was observed with site-specific infection rates of 2.6% for urinary tract, 1.9% for surgical wound, 2.2% for bacteremia and 1.9% for respiratory tract infection. Within specific patient groups, the overall nosocomial infection rates observed were: 8.2% in medical patients, 14.9% in surgical patients and 1.5% in pediatric patients. Despite the markedly elevated nosocomial infection rate in surgical patients (P < 0.001), surgical wound infection rates were not unlike those observed in general hospitals: clean—2.4%, clean contaminated—5.8%, contaminated—13.2%, and dirty—11.8%. These observations provide evidence that institutions which provide medical care predominantly for cancer patients can expect to observe higher nosocomial infection rates than general care hospitals.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 5 , Issue 6 , June 1984 , pp. 289 - 294
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1984

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