Prevalence and Associated Factors of Nosocomial Pneumonia in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction. Nosocomial pneumonia, or hospital-acquired pneumonia, is a significant cause of in-hospital infection that leads to high morbimortality. It occurs at a rate of 5 to 10 for every 1,000 hospital admissions and is considered the most common cause of in-hospital infection in Europe and the United States. Over 90% of episodes of pneumonia developed in intensive care units (ICUs) occur in ventilated patients. The objective of this study is to describe the prevalence and associated factors, such as hospitalization in the ICU, concomitant illnesses, and situations in patients older than 18 years of age with nosocomial pneumonia and hospital stay in an intensive care unit in a third-level clinic in the city of Cali, during the period between January 2015 and January 2016. Methodology. A cross-sectional, observational study with an analytical component. 353 medical records were reviewed, focusing on the factors associated with nosocomial pneumonia in the ICU, with hospital stay greater than or equal to 48 hours. The statistical analysis was performed with Epi Info version 7. Results. The average age of the studied cases was 55.17 years. The estimated prevalence for nosocomial pneumonia was 26%, with an average ICU hospital stay of 9.94 days and standard deviation of 8.30 days, and 4.27 days of invasive mechanical ventilation, with a standard deviation of 7.38 days, in which 26.35% (CI 95%: 22.0-31.1) acquired nosocomial pneumonia in the ICU. 43.06%: (CI 95%: 38.0-48.2) were women, of which 37.68% required invasive mechanical ventilation (CI 95%: 32.7-42.8). As an important pathological background, an association was observed between the variables with respect to nosocomial pneumonia, showing a significant relationship with diabetes mellitus (OR: 25.6; CI: 95% 13.4-48.7), chronic kidney disease (OR: 8.4; CI 95%: 4.49-16.0), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 22.2; CI 95% 11.7-42.1), pathological backgrounds of sinusitis (OR: 30.9; CI 95%: 7-46.2), the use of nasogastric tube (OR: 13; CI 95%: 5-32) and, finally, correlating mortality with this type of pulmonary infection (OR: 26.1; CI 95%: 13-49.1), showing a relationship between the variables. Discussion. The findings show a high frequency of this pathology, which leads to multiple implications in patients, such as prolonged hospital stay and mortality, which are conditions that have been identified by different authors. Conclusions. Nosocomial pneumonia is a frequent infectious process in the ICU, which has a high morbimortality and is related to hospital stay and invasive mechanical ventilation.