Healthcare-Associated Infections: types and prevention

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• The primary goal of Infection Prevention and Control in places we provide health care
• to others is to reduce the risk to clients of acquiring a healthcare-associated infection
• (HAI). Another name for HAI is nosocomial infection. These measures also prevent
• health care workers and visitors from acquiring these infections. Hundreds of
• thousands of individuals acquire infections every year while receiving healthcare
• causing increased length of stay, increased disability, as well as death for some. The
• most common pathogens to cause HAI’s are Staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas
• aeruginosa, and e-coli. Most common HAI’s central line associated bloodstream
• infections (CLABSI), catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), respiratory
• pneumonia, surgical site wound infections (SSI), bacteremia, gastrointestinal and skin
• infections. HAI’s are well described in your Astle readings.
• World Health Organization, 2020, Core Competencies for Infection Prevention and
• Control Professionals, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240011656
• “Preventing harm to patients, health workers (HWs) and visitors due to health care
• associated infections (HAIs) is fundamental to achieve safe quality care and reduce
• antimicrobial resistance (AMR) (1-5). Similarly, preventing and reducing the
• transmission of infectious diseases that may pose global threats, such as pandemic
• influenza or influenza-like infection, coronaviruses, ebola virus disease and other 2
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