[Nosocomial sinusitis in the intensive care unit: incidence, clinical characteristics and evolution].

OBJECTIVE: To describe incidence, epidemiologic characteristics, clinical manifestations, tomographic features, microbiologic findings and evolution of patients with nosocomial sinusitis (NS) in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

DESIGN: Retrospective and descriptive study.

SETTING: 24-bed ICU from a public hospital.

PATIENTS: Patients admitted to the ICU for more than 48 hours who fulfilled CDC criteria of NS.

RESULTS: We found 18 cases of NS, that accounts for an incidence of 1.1% of all admitted patients. Average age was 46.3 +/- 18.3 years, with a predominance of males (89%): Average APACHE II was 20.2 +/- 6.3. All the cases had endotracheal intubation and 89% had a nasogastric tube. All the patients had fever and 83% purulent rhinorrhea or oral secretions. The maxillary sinus was the most affected (72%) followed by ethmoidal sinus (67%). A total of 66% of the patients had other SN associated infectious complications. ICU mortality was 5% and hospital mortality was 33%.

CONCLUSIONS: NS incidence in this study was low, but the risk of infectious complications was high.