Epidemiology of nosocomial sepsis in pediatric intensive care unit

Nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI) is the most frequent hospital infection in patients admitted to pediatric intensive care unit. Nosocomial bloodstream infection is responsible for high mortality rates and increases the duration and also the costs of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to define the risk factors and determine the incidence of nosocomial bloodstream infection in Dokuz Eylül University PICU. This is a retrospective case-control study of 252 patients admitted to the PICU between January 2011 and January 2013 who stayed in the PICU more than 48 hours. Risk factors were determined using single and multivariate analyses. Fifty-eight nosocomial bloodstream infection episodes developed. 26 patients of these were female, 32 were male and the ortanca age was 10 months. The incidence density of bloodstream infection was 14,7 per 1000 patient-days. The median duration for development of BSI was 16,5 days in PICU. The risk of nosocomial bloodstream infections was more at congenital heart diseases, metabolic diseases or neurological diseases. The presence of a central venous catheter, mechanical ventilation and steroid therapy was observed to increase the risk of nosocomial bloodstream infection. The independently risk factors for nosocomial BSI were genetic syndrome and longer hospitalitation in PICU. The most common etiological agents of BSI were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (48%), Klebsiella spp. (24%), Enterobacter spp. (9%) and Candida spp. (9%). If risk factors found in this study reduced, the development of bloodstream infection and mortality, as well as the cost of treatment will be decreased. Keywords: Nosocomial bloodstream infection, PICU, incidence, risk factors.