Scope and Magnitude of Nosocomial ICU Infections

Intensive care units (ICUs) are a primary component of modern medicine and are currently in more than 95% of acute-care hospitals in the United States. Although ICUs account for only 5% of hospital beds, they represent 8% to 15% of hospital admissions. Moreover, current health care trends indicate that although the number of beds in U. S. hospitals is decreasing, the number of intensive care beds is increasing. More than one third of patients hospitalized in ICUs develop unexpected complications. In particular, these patients are at high risk of developing nosocomial infections. This is a result of the patients’ severity of illness and exposure to life-saving invasive devices and procedures. Numerous studies have reported high rates of infection in ICU patients accounting for >20% of nosocomial infections, with increased morbidity and financial cost and a mortality exceeding 40% (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).