nosocomiaal

Nosocomial, in medicine, refers to infections acquired in a hospital or other healthcare facility. The term is often used interchangeably with hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Etymology traces to Greek nosokomeion meaning hospital; nosos means disease. An infection is considered nosocomial if it is not present at admission and develops 48 hours or more after admission, or within a defined period after discharge, depending on surveillance definitions.

Common nosocomial infections include urinary tract infections associated with catheter use, surgical site infections, pneumonia (including ventilator-associated pneumonia), bloodstream infections (often catheter-related), and gastrointestinal infections such as Clostridioides difficile infection.

Risk factors include use of invasive devices (catheters, ventilators), major surgery, intensive care unit stay, immune compromise, prolonged antibiotic exposure selecting resistant organisms, and environmental contamination; outbreaks often involve multidrug-resistant organisms.

Prevention relies on infection control: hand hygiene, sterile technique for procedures, isolation precautions for contagious patients, thorough environmental cleaning, appropriate disinfection and sterilization, cleaning of medical devices, timely removal of unnecessary devices, and antimicrobial stewardship. Hospitals monitor HAI rates and implement improvement programs; international guidelines exist from agencies such as the CDC and WHO, as well as national health authorities.

Impact: Nosocomial infections increase morbidity and mortality, prolong hospital stays, raise healthcare costs, and complicate treatments; measuring rates and targeting high-risk procedures help reduce incidence.