This is a seven-year retrospective study (Jan. 1, 1986 to Dec. 31, 1992) undertaken at Cebu Doctors Hospital Pediatric ward to determine the incidence, types of infection, the prevalent pathogens and identification of the common risk factors associated with nosocomial infections among post operative pediatric patients. Clinical records of children 14 years old and below admitted at the pediatric ward who underwent surgery classified as clean and clean contaminated surgical procedure were reviewed for nosocomial infections. No attempt was made to tabulate illnesses attributed to viral etiologies due to lack of diagnostic virology study in this institution. All pediatric surgical cases admitted less than 48 hours in the ward were excluded from the study Of the 219 patients qualified for the study, 13 cases of nosocomial infections were identified for an over all incidence rate of 5.9%. The incidence of infection was more common among females (NIR = 7.3) than males (NIR = 5.3). Malnutrition and age were among the important host determinants of infection. The use of prophylactic antibiotics did not significantly reduce the incidence of infection in this study. Lower respiratory tract infection identified, followed by wound infection, urinary tract infection and septicemia. Gram negative aerobic bacilli-Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli-accounted for the majority of the isolates.

Cebu Doctors' Proceedings, 1993 9 (1) pages 54-65