Gulsum KAYA, Ece YILMAZ ERBAY, Burcu GURER GIRAY, Sadet KARABULUT, Hulya INCIRKUS KUCUK, Zeynep ERGENC, Hasan ERGENC, Sebahat AKSARAY, Didem OZGUR, Sinem SOLMAZ, Mehtap OSKAY, Ramazan HAN
European Archives of Medical Research - 2026;42(3):222-228
Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence, infection types, distribution of causative microorganisms, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) developing in intensive care units (ICUs). Materials and Methods: This retrospective and observational study was conducted between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2025. HAI diagnoses were made according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance Network (USHIESA) criteria. Total number of patients, patient-days, invasive device-days, infection types, and resistance profiles of causative pathogens were analyzed. Infection rates were calculated based on 1000 patient-days and 1000 device-days. Results: During the study period, 6,152 patients and 28,129 patient-days were monitored. The rate of HAIs was 0.40%, and the incidence density was found to be 0.88/1000 patient-days. Ninety-six percent of the cases were catheter-related urinary tract infections, and 4% were central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections while ventilator-associated pneumonia was not detected. Seventy-six percent of the isolates pathogens were Gram-negative, and 24% were Gram-positive bacteria. The most frequently isolated Gram-negative bacteria were Myroides spp. (47.36%), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (26.31%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (21.05%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.26%). All Gram-positive agents were identified as Enterococcus spp. High levels of AMR were detected in the isolates. Conclusion: Although the incidence of HAI in the ICU is below the national reference threshold, the prevalence of Myroides spp. and resistant Gram-negative pathogens is noteworthy. The findings highlight the need to maintain effective surveillance systems and strengthen strategies to combat AMR.
