Behavior of nosocomial infections at the Provincial Department of Geriatrics

Abstract

The growing number of elderly people in the world population has led researchers to focus attention on gerontological and geriatric research. Infections are a major threat in the morbidity and mortality of the elderly. A Department of Geriatrics frequently admits patients requiring different approaches, both urogenital and venous, which can cause sepsis. A longitudinal and descriptive study on nosocomial sepsis was conducted in the Geriatrics Service of the Arnaldo Milian Castro Clinical-Surgical Hospital, in Santa Clara, Cuba, from January 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012, with the aim of describing their behavior. The standards established by the Committee of nosocomial infections, in force in the country, were used in the carrying out of the study. The data were obtained from medical records, from the registry of the department, and from the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the hospital. In this period, 42 cases of nosocomial sepsis were reported, which turned to be the universe of the study. The variables used were age, sex, location of infection, stay in hospital and microorganisms isolated. The collected data were recorded in a data file. Frequency and distribution tables were devised, with absolute and relative values. The findings show that males were predominant, and that the most frequent ages were between 80 and 89 years. The cardio-respiratory system was the most common site of infection, and the greatest number of patients had a hospital stay from three to seven days, while the most commonly isolated germ was Staphylococcus aureus.