Healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) is an important cause
of morbidity and mortality. About 10% of hospitalised patients develop
an HCAI. We present first point prevalence study of HCAI in Iran, examining
three common HCAIs: urinary tract infection (UTI), surgical site infection
(SSI) and bloodstream infection (BSI). On one day in each of the following
months, May 2004, September 2004, November 2004 and March 2005, all
patients hospitalised in eight participating hospitals were studied. Data
collected included age, sex, ward, clinical characteristics and laboratory
results using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) system criteria. A total
of 2667 patients was investigated. The prevalence rate of HCAI varied significantly
between clinical units, ranging from 3.9% to 34.0%. The lowest
rates were observed in obstetrics and gynaecology wards and the highest
rates in burns wards and intensive care units. The HCAI prevalence rates
found in the hospitals in Shiraz were higher than HCAI rates reported in
studies from Latvia, Slovenia, France and Italy, but lower than those
reported from Greece, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and other developing countries.
Our findings highlight that HCAIs are of concern in Iran and that further
study is needed to identify risk factors and preventive interventions.