The Epidemiology of Healthcare-Associated Bloodstream Infection in an Adult Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Single Tertiary Care Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam

Background Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), including bloodstream infections (BSIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU), are growing global public health problems. While high-income countries have reported the burden of HAIs precisely, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Vietnam, often lack surveillance systems for HAIs. In Vietnam, few reports described HAI-associated BSIs. Therefore, in this study, we aim to clarify the characteristics of HAI-associated BSI in an adult ICU. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of HAI-associated BSI in the adult ICU of Bach Mai Hospital (BMH), Vietnam, between December 2013 and August 2015. For every case identified with bacteremia, we collected characteristics and laboratory findings of the case and followed the length of hospital stay and seven-day and 30-day survival. Predictors of 30-day mortality were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Among the 90 cases identified, the median age of the study cohort was 57 (range: 18-90) years, and 59 (65.6%) were male. Chronic heart disease was the most frequent comorbidity (n = 26, 28.9%). The pathogens isolated were mostly Candida spp. (n = 26, 26.3%) and Enterococcus spp. (n = 19, 19.2%). Among the 90 patients with confirmed HAI-associated BSI, 34 (37.8%) patients survived, while 31 (34.4%) patients died in 30 days. In multivariate analysis, chronic heart disease tended to increase with 30-day all-cause mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-11.9, p = 0.051). Conclusions Our retrospective cohort study is the largest investigation to describe HAI-associated BSI in an adult ICU in a tertiary care hospital in Vietnam. Improved laboratory detection and infection surveillance systems are needed to reduce HAI-associated BSI.