Hospital Acquired Infection Paper

Preventable infections regardless of the causative agent, have become major triggers of unintended patient outcome, increased morbidity, and mortality (Arias, 2010). Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) are the most common causes of healthcare associated infections (HAI) and outbreaks in acute care hospitals and community settings (CADTH, 2010). The widespread infection with the MRSA pathogen is believed to have increased from 2.4 percent in 1975 to 29 percent in 1991 and 2003 in hospitals across the United States (U S) (CADTH, 2010). The prevalence is even greater among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients at 53 percent (CADTH, 2010) and continues to rise due to the widespread

Hospital acquired infections (HAI) will begin to display signs and symptoms within 48 hours. In order to treat the infections, physicians need to diagnostic tools quickly. The manufacturer of new diagnostic test makers, Kalorama Information stated last year that the world demand for testing and treatment of HAI will be over 10 billion dollars by the year 2015, increasing from 9 billion dollars in 2010. Kalorama also stated that HAI has a 5% infection rate of 40 million hospital visits a year, causing 100,000 deaths in the U.S. annually (Kalorama Information, July 14, 2011). Early diagnosis will improve the patient's outcome and decrease the chance of death. According to Kalorama, 20-30% of the HAI can be prevented by the simple use of better hand washing and cross contamination avoidance although the others need more intensive changes such as hospital ventilation systems and using more disposable supplies (Kalorama Information, p. 113) .

Hospital settings have harbored a disease-causing organism called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) since the 1960s. However, hospitals aren’t the only settings at risk of a MRSA outbreak. In recent years’ healthy communities have seen a genetically distinct strain of MRSA, called community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Although this organism has been less resistant to antibiotics, it is more virulent and capable of causing illnesses (Alex & Letizia, 2007). The community should be aware of the risk factors for this infection and understand its signs, symptoms, and management.

Healthcare is an ever-growing, booming industry and as medical technology advances so should our standards of care. Once known as hospital acquired “nosocomial” infections, Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are still afflicting the very patients we are to be treating. These patients could be our loved ones, friends, and family so to say that, “1 in 25 hospital patients have at least one HAI in a U.S. acute care hospital” (CDC, 2015), is still one too many.

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) can be used for routine patient care for treatment and have been increasingly used over the past years. They are more invasive than a peripheral intravenous line (PIV); however, they can be inserted at the bedside, are easily removed, and provide many positive benefits. PICCs relieve patients from frequent venipuncture for serial lab draws, decreases frequent re-starts of PIVs, and the patient can be discharged home, if needed, for continued IV therapy. Although there are benefits to these easily inserted central lines, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are a possibility (Dumont & Nessselrodt, 2012).

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), specifically those involving multi-drug resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as higher cost of healthcare and longer length of hospital stays for patients. Each year, millions of people acquire infections while receiving care, treatment, and services in hospitals and other health care organizations.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a drug resistant pathogen abundant in healthcare settings and the second most common overall cause of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) (Jernigan & Kallan, 2010). The prevalence of MRSA is a significant problem found amongst many Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in the United States (US); critically ill patients are at higher risk for hospital-acquired infections. Acquisition and infection of MRSA may significantly prolong duration of hospital stays, increase healthcare costs, and contribute to higher mortality rates. According to national data, MRSA accounts for nearly 70 percent of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from

Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are never good. Moreover, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 25 patients will develop an infection which was procured during their stay in a hospital (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Twenty percent of these HAI are due to staphylococcus aureus, better known as simply Staph (Statisticbrain.com, 2015).

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections patients can acquire in a healthcare facility while being given medical care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website notes six major sites of infection that patients are at risk of acquiring while receiving care in acute care hospitals in the United States: pneumonia, gastrointestinal illness, urinary tract infections, primary bloodstream infections, surgical site infections from any inpatient surgery, and other types of infections. Their website recounts that as early as 1847 evidence is documented of persons acquiring infections while receiving care in a hospital. The website for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Agency for Healthcare Research

HAIs are usually unrelated to the original illness that the patient presents with. Studies have shown that hospital infections increase financial cost of care, morbidity, and mortality rates. Many causes can contribute to patients acquiring infections during a hospital stay. An increase of large number of patients with several diseases into a hospital with a decreased immune system, medical procedures that bypass the body's natural protective barriers, staff can carry pathogens from patients to patients, failure to follow preventative measures to prevent the spread of infection by staff, and a routine use of antimicrobials that creates resistance are just some of the few reasons why HAI occur (Revelas,

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been a type of multidrug resistant organism and staph bacteria known to cause serious infection that can lead to long hospitalizations and death. It can begin as a simple infection on skin or in the lungs, and if left untreated, can lead to traveling to the bloodstream and causing sepsis (“Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 2015”). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 33 percent of individuals carry the staph bacteria intranasally and two percent of individuals carry MRSA (“Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 2015”). Even though this is a serious issue among healthcare settings all over the country, the number of people affected

Hospital acquired infections or HAIs are one of the main contributing factors that made health care organizations realize the need to continuously revise and improve infection control strategies. Infection control practices extend from the very simple proper hand washing techniques to the more complex decolonization processes to eradicate reservoirs of these pathogens, especially drug resistant strains like MRSA. For patients, a HAI can lead to very dangerous complications and in the case of drug resistant strains there’s an increased potential for prolonged treatment, sepsis and risk of death. This is why in recent years health insurance companies have been refusing to pay for the treatment of suspected HAIs which leaves the cost to fall on

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect patients in a hospital, GP clinic, nursing home, patient’s in home after discharge or any other healthcare facility (NHMRC, 2010). These infection are not usually present at the time of hospital admission (WHO, 2009). Healthcare associated infections or nosocomial infections such as UTI, pneumonia, gastroenteritis among them healthcare associated pneumonia (HCAP) is one of the most common, significant and controllable issues today specially in immunocompromised patients. The impact of this infection includes increased risks of patient morbidity and mortality, extended hospital stay, additional suffering, decrease quality of life and also extra cost to treat the infection which burden both for patient

Healthcare acquired/associated infections (HAIs) are caused by viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. These are infections we can get while we are receiving medical treatment in a healthcare facility. These infections can be serious, but are also very preventable. The most common HAIs are central line-associated bloodstream infections, nosocomial pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and surgical site infections. The most frequent mode of transmission of hospital-acquired infections is by direct contact. These infections are very serious and can possibly lead to death, so prevention of these infections are extremely vital. This is why hand washing, wearing gowns, and practicing sterile techniques is so important

Hospital acquired infections are one of the most common complications of care in the hospital setting. Hospital acquired infections are infections that patients acquired during the stay in the hospital. These infections can cause an increase number of days the patients stay in the hospital. Hospital acquired infections makes the patients worse or even causes death. “In the USA alone, hospital acquired infections cause about 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths per year”(secondary).