Prevalence Survey of Healthcare-Associated Infections 2006

The third Hospital Infection Society (HIS) / Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA) prevalance survey of healthcare associated infection (HCAI) was carried out in acute hospitals in the UK and Ireland between February and May 2006. The Irish survey was coordinated by the HPSC in conjunction with the Irish members of the HIS survey steering group. This was a voluntary survey of adult in-patients in acute hospitals only. Not all hospitals were eligible to participate; participating hospitals had to have an infection control team and because of difficulties in applying definitions to children, children's hospitals and certain other clinical areas were excluded.

Information was collected on risk factors for HCAI for each patient surveyed irrespective of the presence of HCAI. In addition, information on C. difficile and norovirus infection was recorded. The risk factors recorded were presence of:

• intravenous lines ('drips') and feeding through these lines (parenteral nutrition)
• urinary catheters
• mechanical ventilation ('ventilators')
• recent surgery
• antibiotic therapy

Information was collected on all active HCAI present on the date of survey. Special emphasis was placed on four HCAI; primary bloodstream infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and surgical site infections. Provisional results for the Republic of Ireland were published in October 2006 and information on participating hospitals (risk factors and HCAI rates) in March 2007.

This survey is a useful beginning from which we can learn and improve in our methods of monitoring and also hopefully in methods of reducing HCAI.

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