Limiting Healthcare-associated Infections From Patient-use Equipment

摘要

One out of 25 patients hospitalized in the United States will develop a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) after admission that requires an extended stay, further diagnostic procedures, and additional treatments. In 2008, HAIs were the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, with 2 million cases documented annually. In 2009, the annual cost associated with HAIs in the United States ranged from $28.4 billion to $33.8 billion per year. Recent medico-economic studies of this scope could not be located; however, increases in microbe antibiotic resistance in recent years likely has increased HAI prevalence and costs and caused a corresponding upswing in related patient morbidity and mortality. HAIs are dangerous to all patients but especially for those who are immunosuppressed because of chemotherapy, radiation therapy treatments, or both.