Neonatal Nosocomial Infections (NNIs), a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates under intensive care, are receiving increasing attention in healthcare. These infections significantly contribute to neonatal causes of death and are influenced by a variety of factors.
The goal of this study was to delve into the factors associated with NNIs, estimate NNIs burden and assess the predictive effects’ impact on medical mortality rates and lengths of hospital stays. This study was a prospective longitudinal research between January to June 2022 at Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC). It included patients aged 3 to 28 days. Data was collected through face-to-face caregiver interviews, direct patient observations, and a review of patient charts.
Evaluations showed out of 545 neonates, 30% (164) acquired nosocomial infections. Infections were higher in neonates with longer hospital stays, those who used urinary catheters and neonates under surgical procedures. It was found that the risk of neonatal NIs was 0.3 with a mortality rate of 9.6% and an average hospital stay of 14.6 days.
The study suggests that with effective Infection Prevention measures, the NIs rate could decrease by half, potentially saving 101 lives and 1357 patient days for every 10,000 neonatal inpatients. Longer hospital stays were shown to increase the risk of NIs while also resulting from NIs. The findings underline the efficacy of NNIs prevention in reducing neonatal deaths and their hospital stays.
This comprehensive analysis provides vital insights for healthcare professionals and policymakers in devising effective strategies to mitigate neonatal nosocomial infections.
Source: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-10069-w