Nosocomial Infection Rate and the Causative Organisms among In-Patients of Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Units in a Tertiary Health-Care Facility in Rawalpindi

Abstract

A nosocomial infection is acquired 48 hours after hospital admission or within 48 hours of discharge. ICU (Intensive Care Unit) patients are susceptible to infection because of their underlying diseases and medical interventions such as surgery, intubation or antibiotic use, and their exposure to micro-organisms from other patients, the hospital environment or hospital staff.  Most of these infections fall into one of five categories: line-associated infections and bacteremia, surgical wound infection, nosocomial pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and gastrointestinal infection including Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). This may lead to higher infection rate among in-patients of Intensive Care Units.