Nosocomial infection and related risk factors in a general surgery service: a prospective study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to quantify the frequency of nosocomial infection in the general surgery service of a tertiary-care hospital and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, descriptive and analytical study was made from January 1995 to December 1998 of a clinical cohort of 2794 patients who underwent a surgical procedure with a post-surgery stay of more than 48 h. The criteria for infection were those defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the USA.