0520 - Healthcare Infections

Question 1

What is a health care infection?

Answer 1

Any infection associated with a health procedure. Not just hospital-acquired, but also wound infections or some blood stream infections acquired in the community.

Question 2

Why are infections more common in healthcare?

Answer 2

Breach of normal defence barriers - Skin, respiratory tract, stomach acid.
Lowered immune defences - chemotherapy or comorbidities
Increased exposure/transmission - Resistant bacteria, hand hygiene, environmental contamination.

Question 3

What is the epidemiology of healthcare infections?

Answer 3

5-10% of all admissions develop a new infection.
>10% of acute admissions develop a new infection
50-80% preventable
Generally minor, but some may be blood stream or prosthesis infection, or C.Diff.