Infection is one of the principal hazards to which patients in critical care centers are exposed. In addition to being more susceptible, they are exposed to great hazards of contamination and cross infection than most patients in ordinary wards. This is due to they receive much more nursing attention, handling and various forms of instrumentations in particular tracheostomy, mechanical ventilation, aspiration of bronchial secretion, catheterization of urinary tract, treatment of open wounds and prolonged intravenous infusion.
The commonest microorganisms causing disease in critical care units are gram negative bacilli and staphyylococci. Gram negative bacilli encountered in critical care units include : Enterobactericae (E-. coli, klebsiella spp., proteus spp., enterobacter spp., and serratra spp.), pseudomonas aeruginosa, hemophilus influenza and bacteroids fragilis. These organisms are known as opportunistic pathogens, they are normally harmless commensals, but they are able to multiply in tissues and cause diseases in immunocompromized patients.
The aim of this study is to put a strategy for infection control in the ICU in Benha University Hospital. This study comprised collection of microbiological samples from environment, patients and working staff in intensive care unit in Benha University hospital.