Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1541294
Infection Prevention Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) The term healthcare-associated infection refers to infections associated with healthcare delivery in any setting (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory settings, home care). This term reflects the uncertainty in always being able to determine where the pathogen is acquired. Patients may be colonized with, or exposed to, potential pathogens outside of the healthcare setting before receiving healthcare, or may develop infections caused by those pathogens when exposed to the conditions associated with delivery of healthcare. Additionally, patients frequently move among the various settings within a healthcare system. Extent of the Problem The CDC estimated the burden of U.S. HAIs in 2002 as 1.7 million infections in hospitals (9.3 infections per 1000 patient days or 4.5 per 100 admissions) noting that more than 98,000 of these patients die (1). It is also estimated that the U.S. spends $4.5 billion to $5.7 billion annually on the treatment of HAIs. Patients in the healthcare setting are also at increased risk of HAIs from expo sure to organisms from other patients, generally from lack of staff compliance with basic infection prevention measures, like hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand cleaners. Risk Factors Many factors promote HAIs in healthcare settings, including decreased immunity among patients, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, invasive techniques, and medical devices that increase the risk of infections. For example, patients are at increased risk of infection from invasive devices such as intravenous needles or cannulae that are inserted through a person's skin, bypassing the body 's first line of defense. Other invasive devices include artificial airways and tubes to assist breathing, and urinary devices — all providing a pathway for bacteria and other organisms to enter the blood stream, lungs and bladder, and increasing the risk of infection and other medical complications. The risk of infection related to invasive devices increases the longer the device is left in place. Diagnosis The major types of HAIs are related to invasive or surgical procedures and non invasive procedures include: • Surgical site infection (SSI) • Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) • Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) • Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) • Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) • Infections involving multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO), e.g., MRSA, VRE Provider Education Training Manual 3 |