U.s. Hospitals Failing To Control Infections

Newstarget.com ran an article dated 11/23/06 that stated that U.S. hospitals were failing basic hygiene standards. These findings were determined by 3 new studies regarding hospitals sanitation conditions. The studies led experts to believe that many of the growing number of infections occurring in hospitals in the U.S. could be avoided by improving the sanitary conditions within the hospitals. It cost billions of dollars to treat these infections caused by unsanitary conditions and the infections are responsible for thousands of deaths each year.

It was suggested that hospitals should do more to enforce proper hand washing among the medial staff at the hospital and especially when donning gowns and other infection preventing gear worn during medical procedures.

It was also indicated that reducing the traffic in and out of operating rooms might also have a positive effect on the infection rate.

Past studies indicated that of those patients who contracted hospital acquired infections they were more likely to spend more time in the hospital, undergo more extensive procedures and more likely to die than patients who did not contract hospital infections.

Hospital acquired infections is such an important topic that it has been the subject of congressional hearing and report at the Federal Institute of Medicine.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), are also known as health-care-associated infections. These infections do not originate with a patient and become evident after 48 hours of hospitalization.

Hospital acquired strains of bacteria can develop on the patient's skin, respiratory tract or genitourinary tract.

There are three categories for how infections are acquired in the hospital, iatrogenic, organizational, and patient-related.

Iatrogenic risk factors are those that come from pathogens on the hands of the medical staff or from invasive procedures (intubations, extended ventilation, indwelling vascular lines, or urine catheterization), antibiotic use and also prophylaxis.

Organizational risk factors are those that occur from contaminated air-conditioning systems, from contaminated water systems, from the staffing or physical layout of the facility (nurse-to-patient ratio, or having open beds to close together)

Patient risk factors are those that include the severity of the illness, or the underlying immunocompromised state and length of stay experienced by the patient.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) result in as many as 70,000 deaths per year in the U.S.A. It has been shown that in the neonatal units of U.S. hospitals males are more likely than females to acquire infections at a rate of male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1. HAIs that are bacterial and associated with a surgical site are more common in infants younger than 2 months than older children. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more frequent in children older than five years of age than younger kids.

Patients are also likely to acquire viral respiratory infections such as influenza, parainfluenza or syncytial viruses and rotaviral infections in the winter and enteroviral infections in the summer months.

Patients might want to question just how much are they willing to risk by admitting themselves to the hospital?


	U.s. Hospitals Failing To Control Infections Newstarget.com ran an article dated 11/23/06 that stated that U.S. hospitals were failing basic hygiene standards. These findings were determined by 3 new studies regarding hospitals sanitation conditions. The studies led experts to believe that many of the growing number of infections occurring in hospitals in the U.S. could be avoided by improving the sanitary conditions within the hospitals. It cost billions of dollars to treat these infections caused by unsanitary conditions and the infections are responsible for thousands of deaths each year. It was suggested that hospitals should do more to enforce proper hand washing among the medial staff at the hospital and especially when donning gowns and other infection preventing gear worn during medical procedures. It was also indicated that reducing the traffic in and out of operating rooms might also have a positive effect on the infection rate. Past studies indicated that of those patients who contracted hospital acquired infections they were more likely to spend more time in the hospital, undergo more extensive procedures and more likely to die than patients who did not contract hospital infections. Hospital acquired infections is such an important topic that it has been the subject of congressional hearing and report at the Federal Institute of Medicine. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), are also known as health-care-associated infections. These infections do not originate with a patient and become evident after 48 hours of hospitalization. Hospital acquired strains of bacteria can develop on the patient's skin, respiratory tract or genitourinary tract. There are three categories for how infections are acquired in the hospital, iatrogenic, organizational, and patient-related. Iatrogenic risk factors are those that come from pathogens on the hands of the medical staff or from invasive procedures (intubations, extended ventilation, indwelling vascular lines, or urine catheterization), antibiotic use and also prophylaxis. Organizational risk factors are those that occur from contaminated air-conditioning systems, from contaminated water systems, from the staffing or physical layout of the facility (nurse-to-patient ratio, or having open beds to close together) Patient risk factors are those that include the severity of the illness, or the underlying immunocompromised state and length of stay experienced by the patient. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) result in as many as 70,000 deaths per year in the U.S.A. It has been shown that in the neonatal units of U.S. hospitals males are more likely than females to acquire infections at a rate of male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1. HAIs that are bacterial and associated with a surgical site are more common in infants younger than 2 months than older children. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more frequent in children older than five years of age than younger kids. Patients are also likely to acquire viral respiratory infections such as influenza, parainfluenza or syncytial viruses and rotaviral infections in the winter and enteroviral infections in the summer months. Patients might want to question just how much are they willing to risk by admitting themselves to the hospital? 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