Incidence of #healthcare-associated #infections in long-term #care #facilities in nine #European countries: a 12-month, prospective, longitudinal cohort study
Summary Background The number of older people in need of long-term care is increasing, and health-care-associated infections (HAIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality for residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). This study, organised by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), provided data on the incidence of HAIs and related adverse outcomes in LTCFs in European countries, supplementing the available estimates from repeated point prevalence surveys conducted by the ECDC. Methods In this longitudinal, prospective cohort study, we analysed all HAIs collected in a convenience sample of residents from 65 LTCFs (including general nursing homes, residential homes, and mixed facilities) in nine EU or European Economic Area (EEA) countries ( Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland , and Spain ) over 12 months. Eligible residents were those expected to stay in the LTCF for at least the entire study period. Data wer...