Health Care Facility Acquired Infections Remain a Threat to Patient Safety

Outbreak News Today recently discussed with Doctor Rodney Rhode of Texas State University the dangers of being exposed to infection in a health care setting. Dr. Rhode is Chair & Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) and the Associate Dean for Research at the College of Health Professions for the university.

Hospitals are prone to bugs that can cause infections. Healthcare facility-associated infections are known as HAIs, and they have been around for decades. They are not confined to hospitals. Any health care facility, such as an ambulatory surgery center, a nursing home, or a dialysis center, can be home to HAIs.

According to peer review data, acute care hospitals average about 720,000 HAIs a year while all health care facilities combined average 2 million HAIs yearly. HAIs account for 75,000 to 90,000 deaths per year. This number is thought to be low, since death certificates normally just report the last known incident and may miss an infection that is the underlying cause. According to the CDC, one in 25 patients gets an HAI in any given day.

Some of the leading causes of infections are:

1. Catheter urinary tract infection
2. Surgical site infections, which can occur in any incision the doctor makes
3. Blood stream infections
4. Pneumonia infections
5. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea, which can wipe out good intestinal bacteria

Infection categories

There are three main causes of infections in health care settings:

• Medical procedures, such as surgeries.
• Organizational problems, such as coordinating:
  • A report from a laboratory which provides a diagnosis.
  • A prescription by a doctor for a medication.
  • An update by the pharmacist that the prescribed medication has been replaced by a more appropriate one.
• Patient behavior. This includes practices such as poor hygiene or not taking antibiotics to full term.

The medical equipment that give the highest rise to infections are:

• Catheters
• Ventilators
• Scopes to examine the internal abdomen or organs, such as endoscopes

Some of the most troubling microbes that cause infections are:

• Staphylococcus aureus
• E-coli
• Eclampsia infections
• Pseudomonas, which is often associated with cystic fibrosis
• Yeast infections

The biggest concern with these microbes is that they are resistant to antibiotics

Infections can often be prevented with proper hospital, doctor, and medical staff protocols. At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, our South Carolina medical malpractice attorneys understand how infections occur and how to show health providers failed to take proper steps or failed to follow best medical practice standards. To speak with an experienced trial attorney, please phone us at 803-327-7800 or use our contact form to make an appointment.