Hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic use in a geriatric hospital: a point prevalence study

Background: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are the most common healthcare-associated complications, particularly in elderly patients. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of HAIs and associated risk factors in the IRCCS INRCA of Ancona. Methods: A cross-sectional study has been carried out. Data has been collected in accordance with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Point Prevalence Survey 2022-2023 (PPS3) protocol in the IRCCS INRCA of Ancona in November 2022. Results: Out of the 128 patients included in our study, 75.0% were over 78 years old and 9.1% presented an active HAI on the day of the survey. The prevalence of HAIs varied based on the length of the hospital stay (OR 1.1, CI 95% 1.05 - 1.17, p < 0.001) and hospitalization > 7 days (OR 5.9, CI 95% 1.2 - 28.7, p = 0.02). Conclusion: It is clear from our findings that HAIs are associated with advanced patient age, prolonged hospital stay, and use of medical devices, especially in those patients that, due to their clinical situation, are more vulnerable. Although some of these infections can easily be treated, it is important to develop effective infection control strategies thanks to antimicrobial stewardship programs.