OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study were to find out the incidence of health care-associated bloodstream infections in the Pardubice Regional Hospital (PRH) and to introduce a system of the regular monitoring of these infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 2008 - 2009, the incidence of the laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (BSIs) was monitored in patients hospitalized in the PRH. In the case of positive blood culture, a protocol was set up in the department of clinical microbiology. The protocol was filled in with the data from the hospital information system and then closed after the evaluation of a physician and a member of the Infection Control Team. RESULTS: During prospective BSI monitoring in the entire PRH, 207 cases BSIs in 185 patients (incidence 0.5 cases per 1 000 patient-days) were monitored. Of these, 59.4 % were related to intensive care in the ICUs. Thirty-eight percent were catheter-associated infections. The most frequent source of secondary BSIs was the urinary system (26 %). A total of 230 pathogenic microorganisms were isolated, with 9.1 % of cases being polymicrobial. The most frequent pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus (17 %), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.3 %) and Serratia marcescens (13 %). The proportion of methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was 25,6 %. A total of 13 cultures per 1 000 patient-days were collected. CONCLUSION: The detected incidence BSIs is comparable to thet in foreign studies. The different representation of the most frequently isolated causative agents reflects the actual epidemiological situation and correlates with the outcomes of global monitoring of hospital microbial species.

Department of Clinical Microbiology Regional Hospital Pardubice Czech Republic