[Frequency of infections in intensive care units: an incidence survey].

During a nine months period, 568 patients entered the Polyvalent Intensive Care Unit and were prospectively studied: 153 became infected and 289 infections were diagnosed. Urinary tract infections (31%) in patients with indwelling catheter, lower respiratory tract infections (22%) in tracheally intubated and ventilated patients and bacteremias (19%) totalized 75% of all I.C.U. acquired infections. Post operative and trauma patients were more frequently infected than medical patients. E. coli (19%), S. aureus (14%), Enterococcus (13%) and P. aeruginosa (12%) were isolated and resistance to antibiotics was not always important. The prescribed treatment was an association of antibiotics in 55% of cases. The group whose patients were infected had a longer stay in I.C.U. and a higher mortality rate than group of uninfected patients.