Assessment of bloodstream infections and risk factors in an intensive care unit

Background/aim: Nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI) increases mortality rates, duration of stay in hospital, and treatment costs. This study was conducted to determine the rate and the risk factors of BSIs among intensive care unit patients. Materials and methods: Sixty-four patients with BSIs (patient group) and 79 patients without a nosocomial infection (control group) were enrolled in the study. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were used for diagnosing BSIs. Potential risk factors were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression model. Results: The BSI development rate was 15.7% (64/407), with an incidence rate of 18.2/1000 patient days. Distribution of pathogens among BSI patients were as follows: gram-positive cocci, 42.18% (27/64); gram-negative cocci, 34.3% (22/64); and Candida spp., 23.4% (15/64). Risk factors were determined as intubation, arterial catheter, tracheostomy, duration of intubation, duration of catheter use, duration of nasogastric catheter, underlying diseases of chronic renal failure and diabetes mellitus, implemented treatments of sedation and enteral nutrition, and APACHE II score. Conclusion: BSIs are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in intensive care unit patients. Determination of the local risk factors is important and necessary for decreasing the rate of BSIs and the mortality rates.