HAIs

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections patients acquire in healthcare settings during the course of their care. They are not present or incubating at the time of admission.

HAIs can occur in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, and home health services. They include surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and Clostridioides difficile infections, among others.

Common causative organisms include Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), Enterobacterales such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus species, and Clostridioides difficile. Transmission often involves the hands of healthcare workers, contaminated equipment, or invasive devices such as catheters and ventilators, and some pathogens are resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Prevention relies on a combination of practices known as infection prevention. Key measures include rigorous hand hygiene, use of standard precautions, appropriate sterilization and disinfection of equipment, environmental cleaning, prudent antibiotic use (antibiotic stewardship), vaccination of healthcare workers when recommended, and isolation precautions for patients with contagious infections.

The impact of HAIs includes higher patient morbidity and mortality, longer hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. Ongoing surveillance, staff training, and adherence to infection-control protocols are essential for reducing rates of HAIs and improving patient safety.