Objective: To investigate the relationship between hygienic measures reported for the prevention of hospital-acquired diarrhea and incidence rates of hospital-acquired diarrhea.
Design: A survey of hospital-acquired diarrhea was conducted between January 1 and March 31, 1999. Multivariate analysis of reported measures of hygiene according to the observed incidence rates of hospital-acquired diarrhea was performed.
Setting: Thirty-one pediatric or neonatal wards located in hospitals in the southeast of France, selected as a convenience sample of wards volunteering to participate.
Patients: A total of 6,726 children younger than 5 years.
Results: The overall incidence rate of hospital-acquired diarrhea was 3.6%. Rotavirus was responsible for 69% of the cases of hospital-acquired diarrhea. Among the hygienic measures reported by the wards for preventing hospital-acquired diarrhea were using a single room or cohorting (77.4%), washing hands (83.9%), wearing gowns (80.6%), and wearing disposable single-use gloves for diapering a patient (51.6%). By multivariate analysis, the variables statistically associated with a lower incidence of hospital-acquired diarrhea were restricting the patient's mobility outside his or her room, keeping the patient's door closed, and having fewer than 20 beds in the ward, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.34 (95% confidence interval [CI95], 0.18 to 0.65), 0.33 (CI95, 0.23 to 0.47), and 0.42 (CI95 0.30 to 0.60), respectively.
Conclusion: Simple preventive measures can decrease the rate of hospital-acquired diarrhea in pediatric wards.