Prevalence of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Pediatric Wards of Nemazee Teaching Hospital in Shiraz: A Comparison with the Whole Hospital

Background: The risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the developing countries can be up to 20 times greater than the developed countries. Objectives: As the prevalence of HAIs varies even in different wards of a hospital, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HAIs in pediatric wards and to compare it with the whole hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nemazee Teaching Hospital in Shiraz. We used registered data that was reported monthly during a one-year period (March 20, 2016 to March 20, 2017). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: The average prevalence of HAIs in pediatric wards was 7.77%, while it was 11.38% for the whole hospital. The most prevalent HAIs in the whole hospital and in pediatric wards were urinary tract and blood stream infections, respectively. The mean rate of HAIs was significantly different between various pediatric wards (F = 29.50, P = 0.0001) and all wards of the hospital (F = 27.16, P = 0.0001) (P < 0.05). Investigation of the prevalence of HAIs in the critical, medical, and surgical wards showed the highest prevalence in the critical care ward (13.22% in pediatric wards vs. 17.45% in the whole hospital). Acinetobacter was the most common microorganism causing HAIs in the whole hospital. Conclusions: Considering the prevalence of urinary tract infections in the whole hospital and blood stream infections in pediatric wards, preventive strategies to reduce the infections should be adopted. The high prevalence of HAIs in critical care wards even in pediatric wards compared to medical and surgical wards indicates the importance of interventions in such wards, especially for children with a weak immune system.