healthcare-associated infection

Table of contents

TOC \o "1-3 " \u Table of contents PAGEREF _Toc1 \h 1

Introduction PAGEREF _Toc2 \h 2

BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM PAGEREF _Toc3 \h 2

Problem Statement 3

Research Hypothesis and Questions 4

Significance of the Study 4

Purpose of the Study 6

Review of Related Literature 7

POTENTIAL OBSTACLES TO BE ADDRESSED- 11

Summary 11

Conceptual Framework PAGEREF _Toc2 \h 1 2

METHODOLOGY------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------13

RESEARCH DESIGN------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------13 SAMPLE------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------16

DATA COLLECTION-------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------17 INSTRUMENTS------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------18

RELIABILITY

AND VALIDITY---------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------19

DATA ANALYSIS---------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------20

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------22 LIMITATION-------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------22

Reference 23

Introduction

Background of the Problem From the very beginnings of antibiotic therapy , scientists have feared that its widespread use can lead to the development of resistant bacterial strains , able to mutate into forms that can sidestep antibiotics . In 1945 , as the discovery of penicillin was hailed as a "magic bullet " that was the answer to so many infections and health problems that beset mankind . However , it is important to note that the discoverer of this first antibiotic himself , Alexander Fleming was aware of the potential dangers of the use of antibiotic , and warned that the abuse and misuse of this wonder drug could foster resistance to it (Sheff , 2001 ,

.42

In 1941 , almost every strain of Staphylococcus aureus was treatable with penicillin . However , by 1950 , 60 percent of hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus infection was resistant to said drug . Indeed Fleming 's prediction has been alarmingly prophetic (Sheff , 2001

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC , 2 million people annually develop an infection from receiving healthcare in the US (Houghton 2006 ) The CDC also indicates that between 90 ,000 to 100 ,000 patients die each year from healthcare-associated infection (HAI . This is an extensive problem that affects healthcare worldwide (Houghton , 2006

Problem Statement

HAIs exact a high price in terms of human suffering and morality Moreover , HAIs exert a huge financial burden on healthcare institutions In a 2004 study that focused on hospitals in Pennsylvania , 12 ,000 patients were found to develop HAIs during their hospital stay (Houghton , 2006 . This translates to 2 billion in additional healthcare costs and at least 1500 preventable deaths (Houghton , 2006

CDC (2006 ) defined HAIs as infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment ' HAIs are unnecessary tragedies because they are highly preventable . In response , the Department of Health released guidelines to prevent HAIs which hospitals were required to adopt (Houghton , 2006 . However , the guidelines did not provide precise directives as to how healthcare providers can evaluate their ability to comply with the guidelines or assess the efficacy of their procedures (Carling , Briggs , Hylander Perkins , 2006

To this end , this research seeks to identify the prevalence of MRSA and VRE bacterial strains in HAIs at the Assir Central Hospital and Khamis Mushait Hospital , and identify how these MSRA and VRE strains are resistant to vancomycin . Results will then be related to how Assir Central Hospital and Khamis Mushait Hospital evaluated their guidelines and how effective they have been in combating MRSA...