TABLE 8.

Risk factors for neonatal infections and outbreaks

Risk category	Factors
Staff	Lack of compliance with routine practices, including hand hygiene
	Inadequate staff education
	Staff carriage of the outbreak strain
	Poor staff to patient ratios (90)
	Intensity of colonization (eg, chronic skin conditions and concurrent upper respiratory tract infections)
Neonate	Prematurity
	Prolonged neonatal intensive care unit stay
	Use of invasive medical devices
	Exposure intensity (eg, to carriers with chronic skin conditions or concurrent upper respiratory tract infections)
Environment	Poor cleaning of equipment and environment
	Patients residing in common areas (eg, large nurseries)
	Overcrowding and inadequate spacing of patients (90); nonadherence to facility guidelines
	Common newborn bath areas
	Lack of isolation areas during an outbreak