Abstract: OBJECTIVE To investigate the situation of use of ventilators, central catheters, and urinary catheters and explore the characteristics of device-related infections in common wards and intensive care units (ICUs) so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of the device-related infections. METHODS The prospective surveillance was conducted for all of the patients who were hospitalized from Apr 2015 to Mar 2016.The status of use of ventilators, central catheters, and urinary catheters was recorded, the clinical data of the patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central catheter-related bloodstream infection, or catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) were observed.The utilization rates of devices and infection rates were observed and compared between the common wards and the ICUs. RESULTS A total of 70 898 patients were investigated; the utilization rates of ventilators, central catheters, and urinary catheters were 1.5%, 15.5%, and 11.7%, respectively.The incidence rates of VAP, central catheter-related bloodstream infections, and CAUTI were 2.5‰, 0.2‰, and 1.3‰, respectively.The utilization rates of ventilators, central catheters, and urinary catheters were significantly higher in the ICUs than in the common wards (P＜0.01).The incidence rates of VAP and central catheter-related bloodstream infections were remarkably higher in the ICUs than in the common wards (P＜0.05); there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of CAUTI.Among the different departments, the utilization rate of ventilators was relatively high in the internal medicine department and ICUs, the incidence rate of VAP was relatively high in the ICUs.The utilization rate of central catheters was relatively low in the gynecology department, the incidence of central catheter-related bloodstream infections was relatively high in the ICUs; the utilization rate of urinary catheters was relatively low in the pediatric department, and the incidence rate of CAUTI was relatively high in the internal medicine department, gynecology department, and ICUs. CONCLUSION There are a large number of invasive devices that are used in the common wards, the majority of the patients with central catheter-related bloodstream infections or CAUTI distribute in the common wards, therefore, it is necessary to focus on the surveillance and prevention of the device-related infections in the common wards.