The level of knowledge of students of medical faculty kragujevac about nosocomial infections

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in clinical and pre-clinical medical students' knowledge of nosocomial infections (NI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: Questionnaires were answered and returned by 352 of 453 student (77.7 %). The results indicated that students knew the definition of NI (70.1 % correct answers) and their reservoirs (86 %). The bacteria as etiological agents was the most frequent answer (76.4 %), but 30.9 % students did not knew at least one multidrug-resistant bacteria. About one half of the students (54.4 %) knew that contact was the most frequent mode of NI transmission, but hand washing as preventive measure was cited by only 18.8 % of students. Significantly statistical differences about NI in our country, etiology NI and preventive measures, and perception of risk for transmission of hepatitis B for health-care personnel were founded by year of training, by expectation that final-year medical students as more successfully, while pre-clinical students knew more about mode of NI transmission. Pre-clinical students who had previously finished nursing school knew more about multidrug-resistant bacteria than those who had finished some other secondary school, but showed a lower knowledge about definition and most important preventive measures of NI. Clinical students who had previously finished nursing school knew more about frequency NI in our country, reservoirs and preventive measures of NI than those who had finished some other secondary school. CONCLUSION: Data support the need for additional information about nosocomial infections, especially practical work in prevention, in order to get complete knowledge about nosocomial infections

Nosocomial infections in the departments of orthopedics and traumatology

Aim. To determine the incidence and the localization of nosocomial infections (NI) in the departments of orthopedics and traumatology. Methods. A prospective cohort study carried out between February 1 and July 31, 2002 included all of the surgical patients who were hospitalized longer than 48 hours, as well as 30 days after the discharge. The patients were examined and their diagnoses made according to the definition of NI, that was based on the clinical and/or laboratory findings. Results. Out of 277 hospitalized patients, 78 had a total of 91 NIs. Sixty seven (85.8%) of the patients had 1 registered NI each, 9 (11.6%) of the patient had 2 NIs each, while only the 2 (2.6%) were with 3 NIs. The incidence of the patients with HAI was 28.2% (95% IP = 22.9-33.5), while the incidence of HAI was 32.8%. The patients who developed a NI were hospitalized almost twice as long as the patients who did not (t test = 6.0, DF = 275, p < 0.001). In regard to the duration of hospitalization, the incidence of NI was 12.3 per 1000 patient-hospital days. The patients operated on most frequently had the surgical-site infections (69.2%). Of 63 infections of the surgical site, 3 patients (4.8%) were diagnosed as having the NI at that localization following the discharge, and then the urinary tract infections, 25.3% (23/91), and sepsis, 5.5% (5/91). Conclusion. Epidemiological surveillance was the first step towards the prevention and the eradication of NI. The results of this study could be of use in planning of the adequate measures for the prevention of NI in the departments of orthopedic surgery