Skip to main content
Log in

Usefulness of severity indices in intensive care medicine as a predictor of nosocomial infection risk

  • Originals
  • Published:
Intensive Care Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To evaluate the relationship between severity and nosocomial infection in critical patients, we have conducted a prospective study at the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Granada Hospital (Spain). Patients' severity was evaluated by APACHE II and TISS. We found a positive association with nosocomial infection risk for an APACHE II score greater than 12 points (RR=2.45) and for first-day TISS greater than 20 points (RR=2.51). With a multivariate analysis we did not find an association between APACHE II and nosocomial infection risk, but each TISS point suggests an infection risk increment of 6%. We concluded TISS may be considered a good infection risk predictor. TISS could also be taken into account when nosocomial infection rates from several ICUs are compared.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Craven DE, Kunches LM, Lichtenberg DA, Kollisch NR, Barry A, Heeren TC, McCabe WR (1988) Nosocomial infections and fatality in medical and surgical intensive care unit patients. Arch Intern Med 148:1161–1168

    Google Scholar 

  2. Gross PA, Neu HC, Aswapokee P, Van Antwerpe C, Aswapokee N (1980) Deaths from nosocomial infections: experience in a university hospital and a community hospital. Am J Med 68:219–223

    Google Scholar 

  3. Daschner F (1985) Nosocomial infections in intensive care units. Intensive Care Med 11:284–287

    Google Scholar 

  4. Donowitz LG, Wenzel RP, Hoyt JW (1982) High risk hospital-acquired infection in the ICU patient. Crit Care Med 10:355–357

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wenzel RP, Thompson RL, Landry SM, Russell BS, Miller PJ, Ponce de Leon S, Miller GB (1983) Hospital-acquired infections in intensive care unit patients: an overview with emphasis on epidemics. Infect Control 4:371–375

    Google Scholar 

  6. Potgieter PD, Linton DM, Oliver S, Forder AA (1987) Nosocomial infections in a respiratory intensive care unit. Crit Care Med 15:495–498

    Google Scholar 

  7. Constantini M, Donisi PM, Turrin MG, Diana L (1987) Hospital acquired infections surveillance and control in intensive care services. Results of an incidence study. Eur J Epidemiol 3:347–355

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chandrasekar PH, Kruse JA, Matthews MF (1986) Nosocomial infection among patients in different types of intensive care units at a city hospital. Crit Care Med 14:508–510

    Google Scholar 

  9. Nystrom B, Frederici H, Von Euler C (1988) Bacterial colonization and infection in an intensive care unit. Intensive Care Med 14:34–38

    Google Scholar 

  10. Daschner FD, Frey P, Wolff G, Baumann PC, Suter P (1982) Nosocomial infections in intensive care wards: a multicenter prospective study. Intensive Care Med 8:5–9

    Google Scholar 

  11. Britt MR, Schleupner CJ, Matsumiya S (1978) Severity of underlying disease as a predictor of nosocomial infection. Utility in the control of nosocomial infection. JAMA 239:1047–1051

    Google Scholar 

  12. Freeman J, McGowan JE Jr (1978) Risk factors for nosocomial infection. J Infect Dis 135:811–819

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ayliffe GAJ (1986) Nosocomial Infection. The irreducible minimum. Infect Control 7 [Suppl]: 92–95

    Google Scholar 

  14. Freeman J, Goldmann DA, McGowan JE (1988) Methodologic issues in hospital epidemiology. IV. Risk ratios, confouding, effect modification and the analysis of multiple variables. Rev Infect Dis 10:1118–1141

    Google Scholar 

  15. Haley RW, Quade D, Freeman H, Bennet J the CDC SENIC Planning Committee: Appendix E (1980) Algorithms for diagnosing infections. Am J Epidemiol 111:635–643

    Google Scholar 

  16. Centers for Disease Control (1973) Definitions used by the national nosocomial infections study. Quarterly Report. Second quarter 1972

  17. Bueno A, Delgado M, Cueto A, Galvez R (1987) Vigilancia epidemiológica de la infección hospitalaria. Rev Clin Esp 181:92–97

    Google Scholar 

  18. Knaus WA, Wanger DP, Draper EA, Zimmerman JE (1985) APACHE II: a severity of disease classification system. Crit Care Med 13:818–829

    Google Scholar 

  19. Keene AR, Cullen DJ (1983) Therapeutic intervention score system: update 1983. Crit Care Med 11:1–3

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kleimbaum DG, Kupper LL, Morgenstern H (eds) (1982) Epidemiologic research. Principles and quantitative methods. Lifetime Learnings Publications, Belmont

    Google Scholar 

  21. Stamm WE (1978) Infections related to medical devices. Ann Intern Med 89:764–769

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wenzel RP, Osterman CA, Donowitz LG, Hoyt JV, Sande MA, Martone WJ, Peacock JE Jr, Levine JI, Miller GB (1981) Identification of procedure-related nosocomial infections in high-risk patients. Rev Infect Dis 3:701–707

    Google Scholar 

  23. Maki DG (1989) Risk factors for nosocomial infection in intensive care. “Devices vs nature” and goals for the next decade. Arch Intern Med 149:30–35

    Google Scholar 

  24. Chupin AM, Tasseau F, Baron D (1989) Place des techniques vulnerantes dans le survenue des infections nosocomiales en réanimation. Presse Méd 18:1285–1288

    Google Scholar 

  25. Larson E, Oram LF, Hedrick E (1988) Nosocomial infections rates as an indicator of quality. Med Care 26:676–684

    Google Scholar 

  26. Civetta JM, Hudson-Civetta J (1987) Cost-effective use of the intensive care unit. In: Eiseman, Stahlgren (eds) Cost-effective surgical management. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 13–33

    Google Scholar 

  27. Delgado M, Bueno A, López R, Luna JD, Guillén J, Moreno O, Rodríguez B, Cueto A, Rodríguez-Contreas R, Gálvez R (1990) Hospital stay length as an effect modifier of other risk factors for nosocomial infection. Eur J Epidemiol 6:34–39

    Google Scholar 

  28. Delgado M, López R, Lardelli P, Cordero A, Rodríguez-Contreras R, Gálvez R (1991) La estancia como modificator del efecto de otros factores de riesgo en la infección nosocomial. Rev Clin Esp 188:44–47

    Google Scholar 

  29. Knaus WA, Wagner DP, Draper EA (1985) Relationships between acute physiologic derangement and risk of death. J Chron Dis 38:295–300

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bueno-Cavanillas, A., Rodríguez-Contreras, R., López-Luque, A. et al. Usefulness of severity indices in intensive care medicine as a predictor of nosocomial infection risk. Intensive Care Med 17, 336–339 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01716192

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01716192

Key words

Navigation