INTRODUCTION:
There is a paucity of studies investigating the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use at a national level in Kazakhstan. Therefore, this study aims to address this gap by reporting the results of the first nationwide investigation into healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals.

METHODS:
A point-prevalence survey was conducted in 26 acute care hospitals across Kazakhstan in June 2023. The methodology strictly adhered to Protocol 5.3 of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control1. The sample consisted of 8,076 patients.

RESULTS:
The median length of hospital stay until study was 4.0 days. Systemic antimicrobials were administered to 40.2% of hospitalized patients (3250/8076), and HAIs were identified in 2.4% of hospitalized patients (196/8076). Patients receiving antimicrobials were generally younger than those not receiving antimicrobials (median age: 34.42 vs. 37.76 years, respectively). Similarly, patients with HAIs were younger than those without HAIs (median age: 30.88 vs. 36.31 years, respectively). Most antimicrobials were administered to patients hospitalized in surgical wards (57.1%), and a similar trend was observed for HAIs, which were more common among patients hospitalized in surgical wards (42.9%) Pneumonia was the most common type of healthcare-associated infection (25.0%), followed by surgical site infections (13.2%), and gastrointestinal tract infections (11.8%). Cephalosporins were the most frequently prescribed pharmacological group (59.7%). Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems was the most commonly observed resistance in microorganisms isolated from HAI cases, accounting for 47.6% of cases each.

CONCLUSIONS:
Kazakhstan needs to continue implementing infection prevention and control measures and foster the development of antimicrobial stewardship programs tailored to the specific needs of its hospitals.