Prevalence of nosocomial infections in acute care hospitals in Catalonia (VINCat Program).

The first objective of the Catalonian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (VINCat) is to monitor the prevalence (%) of patients with nosocomial infections (NI), patients undergoing urinary catheterization with closed circuit drainage (%) and patients undergoing antibiotic treatment (%). We present the results for the period 2008-2010. Comprehensive and point annual prevalence surveys were conducted that included conventionally hospitalized patients in acute care hospitals belonging to the VINCat Program. The number of participating hospitals was 46 (2008), 48 (2009) and 61 (2010), most belonging to the Network of Public Use Hospitals of Servei Català de la Salut. The results are presented globally and by hospital size (<200 beds, 200-500 beds, >500 beds). The prevalence of patients with active NI acquired during the current or the previous hospitalization (global NI/P%) was 7.6 (2008), 6.2 (2009) and 6.3 (2010). The prevalence of patients with active NI acquired during the current (actual NI/P%) was 6.2 (2008), 4.7 (2009) and 4.6 (2010).The results by hospital size shows that the variation occurred mainly in <200 beds hospitals. The proportion of closed circuit urinary catheterization use was 90.2%. The use of antibiotics varied between 34.6% and 37.6%, with no differences due to hospital size. The global prevalence of NI provides information on the burden of NI at the institutional and regional level. Between 17.3% and 26.9% of patients with NI at the time of the study had acquired it in a previous hospitalization at the same institution.