NOSOCOMIAL INFECTIONS IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

• Main Authors: Vanya RANGELOVA, Ani KEVORKYAN, Maya KRASTEVA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Balkan Medical Union 2020-03-01
• Series: Archives of the Balkan Medical Union
• Subjects: nosocomial infection; neonate; etiology; incidence; risk factors
• Online Access: https://umbalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/14.NOSOCOMIAL-INFECTIONS-IN-THE-NEONATAL.pdf

Neonates admitted for intensive care are a highly vulnerable population of patients, susceptible to infections. In newborns, the nosocomial infections have characteristics that are not seen in any other group of patients. The incidence rate of nosocomial infections in newborns is one of the highest and there are differences in this rate between developed and developing countries. The etiology of nosocomial infections in intensive care units is diverse and the causative agents might be bacteria, viruses or fungi. There are numerous risk factors associated with the characteristics of the patients, the hospital-stay and the level of care provided, that might increase the risk of nosocomial infections.