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Impact of a zero-visitation policy on healthcare-associated infections in a non-COVID intensive care unit: A retrospective cohort study.

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Τίτλος: Impact of a zero-visitation policy on healthcare-associated infections in a non-COVID intensive care unit: A retrospective cohort study.
Συγγραφείς: Ersoy Karka O; Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Akinci D; Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Sungur MA; Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Baytar B; Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Caliskan E; Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Yorulmaz IS; Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Demir Senoglu G; Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Sezen G; Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye., Demiraran Y; Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye.
Πηγή: Medicine [Medicine (Baltimore)] 2026 Oct 16; Vol. 105 (42), pp. e51102.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 2985248R Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1536-5964 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00257974 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Medicine (Baltimore) Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Hagerstown, Md : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Cross Infection*/epidemiology , Cross Infection*/prevention & control , Intensive Care Units*/statistics & numerical data , COVID-19*/epidemiology , Visitors to Patients*/statistics & numerical data, Infection Control/methods ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Incidence ; SARS-CoV-2
Περίληψη: The impact of visitor restrictions in intensive care units (ICUs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remains unclear. This study aimed to compare HAI rates between the pre-pandemic restricted-visitation period and the pandemic zero-visitation period in a non-COVID tertiary ICU. This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients admitted to the Anesthesiology and Reanimation ICU of the Duzce University Health Practice and Research Center between March 14, 2019, and March 13, 2021. Patients admitted during the pre-pandemic restricted-visitation period were assigned to Group 19 -20, whereas those admitted during the pandemic zero-visitation period were assigned to Group 20-21. Patients with an ICU stay of < 48 hours, infection at admission, or infection developing within the first 48 hours were excluded. The primary outcome was HAI incidence. Secondary outcomes included the standardized infection ratio, cumulative attributable difference, inflammatory markers, and microbiological findings. A total of 933 patients were screened, and 206 patients met the inclusion criteria (Group 20-21, n = 115; Group 19-20, n = 91). In the patient-based analysis, the HAI rate was significantly lower in Group 20-21 than in Group 19-20 (6.1% vs 22.0%, P < .001). Similar findings were observed in the episode-based analysis (10.4% vs 33.0%, P < .001). The time to infection onset was significantly longer in Group 20-21 (P = .003). Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and lactate levels were significantly lower during the zero-visitation period. The standardized infection ratio for ventilator-associated pneumonia was significantly lower in Group 20-21 (P = .02). A marked reduction in the number of Acinetobacter spp. isolates was also observed during the pandemic. A zero-visitation policy in a non-COVID tertiary ICU was associated with lower HAI rates. The consistency of the surveillance indicators, inflammatory markers, and microbiological findings supports the observed association. However, these findings should not be attributed solely to visitor restrictions and should be interpreted in the context of multiple infection control measures implemented during the pandemic.
(Copyright © 2026 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC.)
Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to declare.
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: healthcare-associated infections; infection control; intensive care units; patient visitors
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20261017 Date Completed: 20261017 Latest Revision: 20261017
Update Code: 20261017
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000051102
PMID: 42888540
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:1536-5964
DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000051102