In France, little data on nosocomial infections is available for long-term care settings. Therefore, a prevalence study was conducted in 1993 in several Parisian hospitals within the Assistance Publique system. The objectives of this study were to measure the prevalence of nosocomial infections, describe the microorganisms involved, and examine the use of antimicrobial agents. Data collection took place during the month of March 1993 across all hospitals. The survey included 2,506 patients distributed across 50 long-term care units in 9 hospitals. (adapted from the text).