nosokomielle

Nosokomielle, also known as nosocomial infection or hospital-acquired infection (HAI), is an infection that a patient acquires while receiving care in a hospital or other healthcare setting, which was not present and was not incubating at the time of admission. The term reflects the hospital origin of the infection, with roots in the Greek word for a hospital or health facility.

Infections of this type commonly arise in association with invasive procedures or devices and frequently affect the urinary tract, surgical sites, bloodstream, and lungs. Urinary tract infections are among the most common nosokomielle infections, while pneumonia, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, and surgical-site infections are also prevalent. The onset is typically after 48 to 72 hours of hospitalization, but infections may be identified after discharge, especially following surgery.

Pathogens responsible for nosokomielle infections include a range of bacteria and fungi. Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant strains), Enterococcus species, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other gram-negative bacteria, as well as Candida species, are frequently implicated. The risk of acquiring a nosokomielle infection increases with factors such as longer hospital stays, advanced age, underlying medical conditions, the need for invasive devices (such as urinary catheters or intravenous lines), prior antibiotic exposure, and immunosuppression.

Prevention and control rely on standard and transmission-based precautions, emphasizing hand hygiene, aseptic techniques, proper management and timely removal of invasive devices, environmental cleaning, and antimicrobial stewardship. Surveillance and reporting of infection rates help guide prevention efforts and can reduce morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs associated with nosokomielle infections.