Infection and cross-infection in a Paediatric Gastro-enteritis unit
A two month study to investigate the incidence o f nosocomial infection was conducted in a paediatric gastroenteritis ward o f a black academic hospital. Enteric pathogens were identified on admission in 61 (47,2%) o f 129 patients; 56 bacterial and 25 viral. Six per cent o f patients had a combinat...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
1989-09-01
|
| Series: | Curationis |
| Online Access: | https://curationis.org.za/index.php/curationis/article/view/236 |
| Summary: | A two month study to investigate the incidence o f nosocomial infection was conducted in a paediatric gastroenteritis ward o f a black academic hospital. Enteric pathogens were identified on admission in 61 (47,2%) o f 129 patients; 56 bacterial and 25 viral. Six per cent o f patients had a combination o f bacterial and viral pathogens. Enteric pathogens most frequently identified on admission were Campylobacter jejuni in 22%, Rotavirus in 19,3%, EPEC in 10,8% and Shigella spp. in 6,9% patients. Twenty six (20%) patients had more than 1 enteric pathogen. The nosocomial infection rate was recorded at 17,1%. EPEC occurred most commonly in 5,3% patients, Salmonella typhimurium in 4,6% and Shigella spp. in 2,3%. Nosocomial infections increased the mean length o f hospital stay from 7,2- 20,2 days. Contributory factors to the spread o f nosocomial infection were the unsatisfactory methods o f bathing patients and giving naso-gastric feeds. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0379-8577 2223-6279 |