High burden of nosocomial infections caused by multi-drug resistant pathogen in pediatric patients at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

Background: Pediatric patients are at increased risk of nosocomial infections (NIs) with multi-drugresistant (MDR) pathogens, which are more prevalent in the hospital environment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of NIs, antibiotic resistance pattern of bacterial isolates and associated factors in pediatric patients at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from March to August, 2016. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected among patients clinically suspected of developing NI using a structured questionnaire. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test were done with standard microbiological methods. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 20 and p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Conclusion: The high prevalence of NIs with MDR bacteria suggests the need for proper implementation of the NI prevention and control measures.Keywords: Nosocomial infection, multi-drugresistance, pediatrics, Ethiopia