Healthcare-associated infections acquired in intensive care units - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2020
Take our survey
Share your feedback in our short survey and help us improve publications at ECDC. Your input is valuable!
In 2020, 11 124 (12.7%) of patients staying in an intensive care unit (ICU) for more than two days presented with at least one ICU-acquired healthcare-associated infection (HAI) under surveillance (pneumonia, bloodstream infection, or urinary tract infection).
Executive Summary
- Of all patients staying in an ICU for more than two days, 8% presented with pneumonia, 6% with bloodstream infection (BSI), and 3% with urinary tract infection (UTI).
- Seventy-one percent of pneumonia episodes were associated with intubation, 38% of BSI episodes were catheter-related, and 95% of UTI episodes were associated with the presence of a urinary catheter.
- The most frequently isolated microorganism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ICU-acquired pneumonia episodes, coagulase-negative staphylococci in ICU-acquired BSIs, and Escherichia coli in ICU-acquired UTIs.
- Antimicrobial use was empirical in 51% of ‘days of therapy’ (DOTs), directed in 37% of DOTs, and prophylactic in 10% of DOTs.
- Fourteen percent of Staphylococcus aureus isolates were oxacillin-resistant (MRSA) and 16% of Enterococcus spp. were glycopeptide resistant. Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was reported in 22% of E. coli isolates, 38% of Klebsiella spp. Isolates, and 39% of Enterobacter spp. isolates. Carbapenem resistance was reported in 11% of Klebsiella spp. isolates, 26% of P. aeruginosa isolates, and 54% of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates.
