Projects / Programmes
Third Slovenian national survey of hospital acquired infections (SNSHAI III)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.08.00 |
Medical sciences |
Public health (occupational safety) |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B680 |
Biomedical sciences |
Public health, epidemiology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 3.03 |
Medical and Health Sciences |
Health sciences |
healthcare-associated infections; hospital-acquired infections; acute care hospitals; survey, Slovenia
Researchers (7)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
07782 |
PhD Irena Klavs |
Medical sciences |
Head |
2016 - 2018 |
530 |
| 2. |
21599 |
Jana Kolman |
Public health (occupational safety) |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
161 |
| 3. |
34122 |
Aleš Korošec |
Public health (occupational safety) |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
307 |
| 4. |
11330 |
PhD Tatjana Lejko-Zupanc |
Microbiology and immunology |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
369 |
| 5. |
32966 |
Blaž Pečavar |
Microbiology and immunology |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
52 |
| 6. |
32087 |
PhD Mojca Serdt |
Public health (occupational safety) |
Researcher |
2017 - 2018 |
33 |
| 7. |
35883 |
PhD Maja Šubelj |
Public health (occupational safety) |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
128 |
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and particularly, hospital-acquired infections (HAI), as a part of the former, are a major public health threat in Slovenia, Europe and worldwide. For evidence based policies and strategies to prevent and control HAI we need to measure their burden, understand risk factors and monitor changes of the burden and relevant risk factors over time. HAI surveillance is essential part of the effective infection prevention and control programs in acute-care hospitals.
Proposal for a "Resolution on the National Health Care Plan 2015-2025", highlights the importance of activities for prevention and control of HAI and infections caused by antimicrobial resistant microorganisms. In accordance with the Act of Communicable Diseases all healthcare providers must implement HAI surveillance. HAI surveillance is also recommended by the Council of European Union (EU). The Council of Europe Recommendations on patient safety, including the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (2009/C 151/01) recommends to the EU Member States to adopt and implement a strategy for prevention and control of HAI, with one of the objectives (c) establishment or strengthening of active surveillance of HAI. Within this objective, the European Council also recommends the implementation of regular cross-sectional prevalence studies of HAI.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) supports the European Commission and the Member States in prevention and control of HAI and coordinates surveillance of HAI in EU that includes also repeated national surveys of HAI in acute care hospitals. ECDC coordinated the implementation of the first European Point Prevalence Survey of HAI in acute-care hospitals in 2011 and 2012.
Institute of Public Health of Republic of Slovenia (IPH), now the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), coordinated the second Slovenian national HAI prevalence survey (SNHPS II) in all Slovenian acute-care hospitals in 2011. The survey was conducted within the European Point-Prevalence Survey of HAI and antimicrobial use in European acute care hospitals, coordinated by ECDC. All patients, hospitalised in 21 acute care hospitals in Slovenia on the day of the survey in October 2011 were included in the survey. Among 5628 patients, 31.6% of patients had a surgery during the month before the survey and 9.5% of patients had an implant inserted during the year before the survey. On the day of the survey, 46.8% had a peripheral vascular catheter, 7.3% a central vascular catheter, 16.2% a urinary catheter, and 3.0% were intubated. On the day of the survey, 3.8% of patients had at least one HAI and additional 2.6% were still on treatment because of at least one HAI, corresponding to the overall prevalence of 6.4%. The proportion of patient in intensive care units (ICU) with at least one HAI was the highest (35.7%). Among 396 episodes of HAI, urinary tract infections were most common (19.4%), followed by pneumoniae (18.7%). Patients, exposed to indwelling devices, had higher odds of development of HAI. Patients with central vascular catheter had almost three times higher odds for any of HAI than others, patients with peripheral vascular catheter had more than 1.5 times higher odds and patients with urinary catheter nearly 2.5 times higher odds for any of the HAI than others. Independent risk factors for HAI were also prolonged hospitalization and hospitalization in the ICU. High prevalence of HAI in ICU was due to greater exposure to certain invasive procedures or characteristics of patients who required intensive care treatment. It could also be due to some other characteristics of processes in ICU, which were not measured. Patients aged 80 years or more had 2.2 times higher odds for any HAI than those less than 50 years old. Patients with rapidly fatal diseases in six months and patients with implants had also higher odds for any HAI. The results showed HAI represent an importa
Significance for science
With the SNHPS III we will:
- estimate the prevalence of HAI overall and of different types of HAI (according to patients characteristics, hospital characteristics, types of wards) among hospitalized patients in Slovenian acute care hospitals,
- describe microorganisms, that cause HAI, and estimate the proportion of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms for some,
- describe patients' characteristics and their exposure to risk factors,
- describe antimicrobial use,
- estimate some structure and process indicators.
By comparing the results of the second and the third Slovenian national HAI prevalence survey (SNHPS II and SNHPS III) we will describe any changes.
With the preparation of the SNHPS III protocol and its implementation, we will contribute to the development of the surveillance of HAI in Slovenia and Europe. We will also contribute the development of epidemiology in the area of public health in Slovenia since the survey will be conducted in accordance with the highest methodological standards for the implementation of national HAI prevalence surveys in acute care hospitals.
Our experiences will be used in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of epidemiology, infectious diseases with the epidemiology and public health. The collected data could be the basis for PhD dissertation theses in relation to HAI surveillance, prevention and control in Slovenia.
Significance for the country
SNHPS III results will be crucial for evidence based public health policy and national strategy of HAI prevention and control in Slovenia and Europe.
SNHPS III results:
- will be used at the Ministry of Health for the development of evidence based Slovenian public health policies and national strategy for HAI prevention and control,
- will be used by NIPH for the development of evidence based proposals of HAI prevention and control and surveillance of HAI,
- will be used by the participating acute care hospitals for planning evidence based doctrines and practices for HAI prevention and control as well as HAI surveillance.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2016,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2016,
final report
