en Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Original Article Original Article <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Background</span></i></b><i><span style="color:blue">:</span></i> Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients significantly complicate the normal hospitalization process and affect patients&rsquo; condition, length of hospitalization, mortality, and treatment cost. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and economic burden of HAIs.</span><br> <span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Methods:</span></i></b> The study involved all patients with a confirmed HAIs (based on CDC/NHSN case-definitions); in the general ICU of a tertiary university hospital in Tehran, from April 2020 to March 2021. The patients&rsquo; information, including length of hospitalization, outcome, type and cost of prescribed antibiotics, were recorded. </span><br> <span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Results:</span></i></b> During the study period, 119 HAIs were found in 1395 (43% F / 57% M) patients. The prevalence of nosocomial infections was 8.53%. The mean duration of hospitalization in all ICU patients was 4.7 &plusmn; 3.1 days, and 31.85 &plusmn; 18.96 days in patients with HAIs. The most common organisms involved in HAIs are <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> (54.6%), <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (30.3%), <i>E. coli</i> (15.1%), and Enterococcus spp. (12%). Incidence density of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLA-BSI), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) per 1000 device-days were 36.08, 17.57, and 8.86, respectively. The total cost of antibiotics for HAIs was &euro; 105,407. Among these, the highest consumption costs were for carbapenems, followed by colistin and caspofungin.</span><br> <span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Conclusion</span></i></b><i><span style="color:blue">:</span></i> This study showed the high burden of nosocomial infections in ICUs. Strategies for more strict infection prevention and control are necessary to reduce this burden.</span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Healthcare-associated infections, ICU, economic burden 478 483 http://caspjim.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1276-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Masoome Zolfaghari Zolfagharim73@yahoo.com 100319475328460048980 0009-0004-0092-1309 No Department of Radiology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Arash Seifi a-seifi@sina.tums.ac.ir 100319475328460048981 100319475328460048981 Yes Department of Infectious Diseases, Research Center for Antibiotic Stewardship and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ebrahim Jaafaripooyan jaafaripooyan@tums.ac.ir 100319475328460048982 100319475328460048982 No Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zahra Jahangard-Rafsanjani zjahangard@sina.tums.ac.ir 100319475328460048983 100319475328460048983 No Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shirin Afhami afhami8@live.com 100319475328460048984 100319475328460048984 No Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mostafa Mohammadi mohammady_m2007@yahoo.com 100319475328460048985 100319475328460048985 No Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Masoud Emami Meybodi Masoudemami237@gmail.com 100319475328460048986 0009-0001-4903-3730 No Department of Radiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammadreza Salehi salehi.mohamad3@gmail.com 100319475328460048987 100319475328460048987 No Department of Infectious Diseases, Research Center for Antibiotic Stewardship and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Esmaeil Mohammadnejad asreno1358@yahoo.com 100319475328460048988 100319475328460048988 No Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Research Center for Antibiotic Stewardship and Antimicrobial Resistance, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran