Prevalence of nosocomial infections in hospitals in Norway, 2002 and 2003

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 40 - 45
• Main Authors: Eriksen, H.M., Iversen, B.G., Aavitsland, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kent Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the urinary system; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Confidence Intervals; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - prevention & control; General aspects; Health Planning; Health Priorities; Health Services Needs and Demand; Hospital Bed Capacity - statistics & numerical data; Hospital Departments - statistics & numerical data; Hospital infections; Human bacterial diseases; Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models; Humans; Incidence; Infection Control - methods; Infection Control - standards; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Norway; Norway - epidemiology; Nosocomial infections; Pneumology; Population Surveillance - methods; Prevalence; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - prevention & control; Risk Factors; Sepsis - epidemiology; Sepsis - microbiology; Sepsis - prevention & control; Surgical Wound Infection - epidemiology; Surgical Wound Infection - prevention & control; Urinary Tract Infections - epidemiology; Urinary Tract Infections - prevention & control; Norway; Europe; Prevalence; Nosocomial infections; Norway; Hospital infections; Nosocomial infection; Pneumonia; Check; Urinary tract; Epidemiology; Incidence; Prevention; Respiratory tract; Urinary tract infection; Hospital; Surgical wound; Lung disease; Urinary system disease; Respiratory disease; Septicemia; Acute; Urinary tract disease; Survey; Surveillance; Distribution; Pneumopathy
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2004.09.038

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health initiated a national surveillance system for nosocomial infections in 2002. The system is based on two annual one-day prevalence surveys recording the four most common types of nosocomial infection: urinary tract infections; lower respiratory tract infections; surgical site infections and septicaemia. All acute care hospitals in Norway (
N=76) were invited to participate in the four surveys in 2002 and 2003. The total prevalence of the four recorded nosocomial infections varied between 5.1% and 5.4% in the four surveys. In all surveys, nosocomial infections were located most frequently in the urinary tract (34%), followed by the lower respiratory tract (29%), surgical sites (28%) and septicaemia (8%). The prevalence surveys give a brief overview of the burden and distribution of nosocomial infections. The results can be used to prioritize further infection control measures and more detailed incidence surveillance of nosocomial infections.