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We analyzed the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections (HAl) at intensive care unit of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine of Martin Faculty Hospital in 2008. We performed a retrospective-prospective observation according the protocol of European HELICS (Hospital in Europe Link for Infection Control and Surveillance) system. We found 11 HAl (4.45%) which on average prolonged the length of hospitalization by 6 days. The most frequent localisation of HAl was the respiratory tract. By our own observation we found the same number of HAl cases as it had been reported officially but the observed and reported cases do not match. The surveillance system HELICS uses definitions slightly different from those used in Slovakia. The severity of health status of a patient at admission influences the risk of HAl. We suggest a continuing collaboration on HELICS system with further involvement of all departments of Martin Faculty Hospital and creation of a hospital infection control team. We also suggest an improvement in testing for etiologic agents of HAl and an introduction of methods of molecular epidemiology in diagnostics, as well as quantification of costs related to occurrence of HAl and to assess an implication of automated monitoring system in HAl surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]