Healthcare-Associated Infections Overview
Most people around the world have a general understanding that hospitals are a place where people go to get better. However, it is not common knowledge amongst the world’s population that these are also places where infections can, and often do, occur (Fremgen, 2012). Previously termed nosocomial infections, and now referred to as healthcare-associated infections, these infections are contracted while individuals are being treated for other health related disease or illness (Carlton & Adler, 2013). Among the critically ill, HAIs are a major complication and can often have lethal consequences. HAIs are a concern worldwide, frequently resulting in prolonged hospital stays and high medical costs (Leistner, Hirsemann, Bloch, Gastmeier, & Geffers, 2013). HAIs do not just affect hospital patients, individuals who receive out-patient elective procedures, or those residing in long-term care facilities are also at risk for contracting these infections. HAIs affect all ages, impacting young and old alike. HAIs cost billions of dollars each year …show more content…
Research conducted by Kirkland et al. (2012), established that increased hand hygiene by medical staff had the benefit of reducing HAIs by 31%. Hand hygiene refers to effectively washing one’s hand and/or using an alcohol-based hand rub (Booth, 2016). Research shows that hand contamination is one of the leading causes of HAIs (Hughes, 2008). High nurse/patient ratios can lead to increased HAIs due to a poor adherence to hand hygiene (Hughes, 2008). During high workloads, nurses washed their hands only 25% of the times versus 70% of the time during normal or low workload periods (Hughes, 2008). This demonstrates the importance of maintaining adequate nurse/patient ratios in order to prevent the spread of
Most people around the world have a general understanding that hospitals are a place where people go to get better. However, it is not common knowledge amongst the world’s population that these are also places where infections can, and often do, occur (Fremgen, 2012). Previously termed nosocomial infections, and now referred to as healthcare-associated infections, these infections are contracted while individuals are being treated for other health related disease or illness (Carlton & Adler, 2013). Among the critically ill, HAIs are a major complication and can often have lethal consequences. HAIs are a concern worldwide, frequently resulting in prolonged hospital stays and high medical costs (Leistner, Hirsemann, Bloch, Gastmeier, & Geffers, 2013). HAIs do not just affect hospital patients, individuals who receive out-patient elective procedures, or those residing in long-term care facilities are also at risk for contracting these infections. HAIs affect all ages, impacting young and old alike. HAIs cost billions of dollars each year …show more content…
Research conducted by Kirkland et al. (2012), established that increased hand hygiene by medical staff had the benefit of reducing HAIs by 31%. Hand hygiene refers to effectively washing one’s hand and/or using an alcohol-based hand rub (Booth, 2016). Research shows that hand contamination is one of the leading causes of HAIs (Hughes, 2008). High nurse/patient ratios can lead to increased HAIs due to a poor adherence to hand hygiene (Hughes, 2008). During high workloads, nurses washed their hands only 25% of the times versus 70% of the time during normal or low workload periods (Hughes, 2008). This demonstrates the importance of maintaining adequate nurse/patient ratios in order to prevent the spread of