Prevalence of Nosocomial Infections in General Hospitals in Belo Horizonte

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Abstract
To assess the magnitude of nosocomial infections (NI) in general hospitals of Belo Horizonte. Multicenter point-prevalence study of nosocomial infections. All of the 11 general hospitals of Belo Horizonte that have more than 20 beds, from August 27 to October 5, 1992. Of the 2,339 patients surveyed, 267 patients had 328 nosocomial infections. The global prevalence rate of NI was 14.0%, ranging from 4.6% to 27.3% in the hospitals surveyed. The most prevalent infections were found to be pneumonia and surgical-wound infections, representing 19.5% and 19.2%, respectively, of the total infections. The highest prevalence rates of NI were observed in the cardiac surgery (31.9%), pediatric (27.2%), and orthopedic (20.7%) services. The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas species, and Klebsiella species. The study allowed a thorough evaluation of the NI distribution profile in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and showed it to be a serious public health problem that requires interinstitutional efforts so that effective action can be taken.