Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) present significant challenges in rehabilitation hospitals, particularly for patients who have extended stays or complex medical needs. New research analyzes these patterns further, focusing on a rehabilitation hospital in China from 2020 to 2024. A retrospective observational study that took place in a tertiary-care rehabilitation hospital with 25 specialized wards offered an insight into these patterns.
Patient demographics, clinical parameters, and ward-level characteristics were all scrutinized in this comprehensive study. With the use of Poisson and Quasi-Poisson regression models, the study was able to identify risk factors. The study showed an overall infection rate of 3.64%, which equates to 385 infections among 10,559 inpatients.
The ward with the highest infection rate (11.1%) was the Vegetative State Awakening Department. The most common type of infection was respiratory tract infections (42%), with ventilator-associated pneumonia accounting for 28% of all infections. Beyond this, the study noted several significant risk factors. Tracheal intubation and the use of glucocorticoids both emerged as strong predictors for infections within this setting.
Consequently, the study suggests a pressing need for tailored infection control strategies, with targeted interventions focusing on identified risk factors potentially lowering the infection rate in rehabilitation hospitals. Keywords: hospital-acquired infections, rehabilitation hospital, risk factors, infection control, healthcare surveillance, China, nosocomial infections, patient safety