Infections among Users of Home-visit Nursing Care Stations in Japan

Abstract

  The present situation of infections and infectious diseases in users of home-visit nursing care were investigated using questionnaires given to personnel with responsibility for home-visit nursing care stations in Tokyo in 2005, and other areas in Japan outside Tokyo in 2006. Responses were collected from 134 home-visit nursing care stations in Tokyo and from 523 stations outside Tokyo. Analysis of the responses produced the following findings 1) More than 50% of stations had users with diagnoses of infectious diseases during one month. 2) Prevalent infections were hepatitis, wound infections, pneumonia and cystitis. 3) More than 25% of stations reported that the most common fatal infection was pneumonia. 4) More than 80% of stations had home-visit nursing care users who were treated with a urinary catheter, more than 75% had users with an ulcer, and 60% had users with a tracheotomy, indicating a high level of risk of infection among users of home-visit nursing care. These findings indicate that many compromised hosts are included among users of home-visit nursing care, so an infection control system for home-visit personnel is essential.