Hospital Acquired Infections and Its Impact on Quality in Healthcare

Running head : HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS

Nosocomial infections

March 2008

Abstract

Hospital acquired infections include urinary tract infections , surgical wound infections , pneumonia and infections of the bloodstream . These infections are detrimental to the patient and result in lengthier stays in the hospital and eventually greater costs for healthcare . HAIs develop 48 hours after a patient is admitted to a hospital and result from clinical practices that introduce dangerous bacteria and viruses into the patient 's already weakened immune system . Depending on the type of infection certain patients are more susceptible

. Patients undergoing abdominal surgery are at an increased risk of surgical wound infections catheterization is a risk factor for urinary tract infection , use of a mechanical ventilator is a risk factor for pneumonia and intravenous catheter is a risk factor for bloodstream infection . The cheapest , most effective and most ignored way of diminishing these infections is to practice safer and cleaner hygiene on the part of both health care workers and other persons who come in contact with hospitalized patients .Hospital acquired infections

Hospital-acquired infections (HAI , also called nosocomial infections are infections that are acquired by patients in the hospital setting anywhere after 48 hours of being admitted to the hospital or other health institution . The acquired infection is not directly related to the original condition for which the patient reported . However HAIs come about as a result of a procedure or treatment that utilized in the diagnosis or treatment of patients (Rizzo Odle , 2006 . Hospital acquired infections are the leading cause of complications in patients that are hospitalized (Mohr , Peninger Ostrosky-Zeichner , 2005

Researchers estimate that the prevalence of HAIs is approximately between five and ten percent of admitted patients in the United States (Rizzo Odle , 2006 . Additional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) suggest that yearly about just under two million hospitalized patients develop an HAI (CDC , 2007 . Furthermore close to 100 ,000 of these patients eventually die , as a consequence of the infection (CDC , 2007 . McCaughey further exemplifies the true prevalence of HAIs , estimating that one in 20 hospitalized patients develop and HAI resulting in 20 million infections yearly (as cited in Stommen , 2007

In addition the prevalence of HAIs varies considerably depending on the nature of the infections developed and the characteristic of the patient affected . Patients admitted in the intensive care units (ICU ) of hospitals are the most at risk for the development of HAIs . Mohr et al (2005 ) estimate that 10 percent of patients undergoing acute care are infected annually . For patients in the ICU this figure increases exponentially to as much as 30 percent (Mohr et al , 2005

Common HAIs

Hospital-acquired infections can manifest themselves in any of a number of forms , and which infection a patient may develop or may be at risk for developing depends heavily on heir own physical condition , the purpose of their stay in the hospital and the nature of the hospital environment in which they are staying (Rizzo Odle , 2006 . HAIs can arise as a...