Introduction:

Health care-associated infections due to gram-negative microorganisms are a frequent reason for admission to intensive care units and sometimes a consequence of the stay in them; the prolonged stay of patients in these units is associated with an increase in the consumption of resources, occupation rates, morbidity and mortality.

Objective:

To identify the prognostic factors of prolonged stay in patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units with health care-associated infections due to gram-negative microorganisms.

Material and Methods:

A prospective study was conducted from January 2015 to January 2017 in patients under 14 years of age who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the "General Luis Ángel Milanés Tamayo" Pediatric Hospital.

Results:

A significant relationship was observed between the ICU stay of patients with health care-associated infections due to gram-negative microorganisms and comorbidity (p 0.041 OR = 6.40-IC: 1.06 - 20.0), pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation (p 0.045 OR = 7.14 -IC: 1.05 - 50.0), and ICU-acquired infections during the first 14 days of admission (p 0.022 OR = 7.14 -IC: 1.33 - 33, 3).

Conclusions:

Children who acquire an infection caused by gram-negative microorganisms in the intensive care unit, those with pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation as an infection type, and those with comorbidities on admission have an increased risk of a prolonged stay in intensive care units.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )