[Healthcare associated infections in cardiac surgery patients: results of a study conducted in a university hospital in Catanzaro (Italy)].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of healthcare-associated infections in patients admitted to the Cardiac Surgery Division of the University Hospital in Catanzaro (Italy) from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009. The methodology developed by the National Healthcare Safety Network was used. In total 887 patients were evaluated, 5.9% of whom developed at least one healthcare-associated infection giving an incidence of 4.8 infections/1000 patient days. The incidence of surgical site infections was 1.5 per 100 surgical procedures. In the Intensive Care Unit, the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection was found to be 10.6/1000 catheter-days, the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 9.7/1000 ventilator days, while the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections was 0.9/1000 catheter days. In the Cardiac Surgery Unit, the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection was found to be 2.2 per 1000 catheter-days while the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections was 3.3/1,000 catheter days. Epidemiological surveillance has a fundamental role in the control of healthcare associated infections because it allows us to measure the frequency of infections and to rapidly adopt adequate control measures.