Surveillance of nosocomial infections in a cardiac surgery unit in Palermo (Italy)

: A study was performed to assess the incidence of hospital acquired infections at the Cardiac Surgey/Intensive Care Unit of the university teaching hospital "Paolo Gaccione" in Palermo (Italy), their associated risk factors and mortality. The unit consists of 31 beds, including 7 intensive care beds. One hundred patients admitted to the unit between 1 March 2008 and 30 June 2008 and hospitalised for > 48 hours were enrolled in the study. Active surveillance of hospital acquired infections was performed for these patients and overall, 18 cases of infection were diagnosed (9.3 infections per 1.000 day-patient). Infections acquired in hospital were found to be associated with several risk factors (duration of stay, duration of the surgical procedure and number of persons in the operating theatre during the procedure) and with a higher mortality rate (OR=5.9). Knowledge of the factors associated with hospital infections is essential to reducing human and social costs related to such infections while simultaneously improving the quality of health care.