What are Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI)?

Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) are infections which are caught during hospital or healthcare facility stay or use of medical facilities during hospital stay and which were not present at the time of admission of patient. With information and judicial use of medical equipment and care, risk of fatal infections and sepsis through hospital acquired infections may be avoided.

HAI or healthcare associated infections (HCAI) are also known as nosocomial infections. Such an infection can be acquired in nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, outpatient clinics or other clinical settings, ambulatory surgical centers during procedures or use of hospital equipment and other means.

Public health authorities take measures also conduct surveillance programmes, guide and advise healthcare facilities to control and prevent infections in healthcare establishments as hospitals and clinics and care centers.

Staphylococcus Aureus is the gram positive bacterium found in upper respiratory tract mostly noses and skin in most of the people. Not all but some of the strains are found to be alarming, in causing serious and fatal infections in hospital settings.

These round, sphere shaped bacteria often cause skin infections and can cause Pneumonia, Heart Valve infections and bone infections.

HAI are acquired by means of healthcare interventions during or after medical procedures. Following list describe how patient may acquire hospital infections:

• Healthcare staff to patient contact can spread pathogenic infection
• Use of contaminated equipment, linens, air droplets, vessels and utensils used in medical facility
• Outside infections carried through staff and visitors (Staphylococcus Aurius infections)
• Infection originating through microbes of patients own skin in medical setting
• Use of unsafe medications
• Use of shared invasive and noninvasive medical equipment as catheters and ventilators.
• Sepsis (life threatening) as a patients body response, to fight infections and as a result causing injury to own tissues and organs.

Risk of nosocomial infections (acquired infections) are heavy and may lead to fatal staphylococcus infections and life threatening sepsis.

Being informed, spreading awareness and keeping a close watch on first onset of symptoms of infections and consequent sepsis, in your loved ones, in hospital and home care setting is important!

Avoid risk and save life!