Korean J Perinatol.  2009 Dec;20(4):291-298.

Hospital-acquired Infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Infection Control

• Kim CS

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is one of the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). An understanding of the pathogenesis and clinical features of common diseases which are developing in the NICU including catheter-associated bloodstream infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia and systemic candidiasis is essential to prevent and control infections. Introduction of early enteral feeding with breast milk to the prematurity may help to reduce HAI in the NICU, but other strategies such as fluconazole prophylaxis, immunomodulation and use of probiotics are still debatable for routine recommendation. The general policy of infection control including hand washing and aseptic techniques must be observed in the NICU. Survellance and regular review of HAI is useful in managing outbreak. A continuous educational program on hand washing and feedback system may improve the compliance among healthcare workers in the NICU.

Keyword

Hospital-acquired infection; Neonatal intensive care unit; Infection control

MeSH Terms

Candidiasis
Compliance
Delivery of Health Care
Enteral Nutrition
Fluconazole
Hand Disinfection
Immunomodulation
Infant, Newborn
Infection Control
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Milk, Human
Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated
Probiotics
Candidiasis
Fluconazole