Modernization has allowed doctors and healthcare facilities to employ different invasive procedures and devices to help their patients get the best treatment. However, they fail to consider the risk associated with such systems and devices. 

The most common risk associated with healthcare facilities is the spread of different infections. Healthcare-associated infections are known as HAIs, mostly related to ventilators or catheters. 

Some infections start taking place on the surgical site due to the vulnerability of your wound being open to the environment, which is called the surgical site infection. 

• HAIs affect 1 in 31 hospitalized patients on any given day in the U.S., according to the CDC.
• Biofilms, protective layers formed by bacteria on medical devices, make some HAIs harder to treat.
• Improper antibiotic use contributes to antibiotic-resistant HAIs, making prevention even more critical.
• Hospitals with higher hand hygiene compliance rates report significantly fewer HAIs.
• Environmental cleaning, including UV disinfection, is becoming a key tool to control HAIs in health facilities.
• Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at a higher risk of developing HAIs than those in general wards

So, if you want to learn more about how you control these infections and what they are, keep reading. 

HAIs are Healthcare-Associated Infections, infections you can get from a hospital or any health facility while getting treatment for your condition or disease. HAIs can be very serious and even fatal in some cases, and the risk of infections is increasing due to modernization. 

HAIs are associated mainly with medical or surgical procedures where ventilators or catheters type devices are used. Even though this disease can become a cause of death in some severe cases, most HAIs can be prevented. 

However, this prevention is not only the facility’s responsibility; the patient and their family must also work together to avoid such issues. 

HAIs are usually related to devices or procedures used in the facility and are very common. However, there are also germ-related HAIs, which include MRSA, C.diff, and even Hepatitis. You must be aware of what they are to help prevent them from spreading. 

So please continue to read all about them!

Surgical Site Infections, or SSI, as the name suggests, are healthcare-associated infections related directly to surgical procedures. SSIs usually occur after a patient undergoes surgery or during it when your wound is vulnerable to the environment. 

These infections can be on your skin or get deeper inside and become incredibly serious or even deadly. 

CLABSI is also a healthcare-associated infection that is caused due to a central line. A central line is also known as a central venous catheter, and this device is placed near your heart into a very important vein. It takes blood and gives medicine which is why it can easily infect the bloodstream and poses a threat of infection. 

The third healthcare infection, which is quite common, is catheter-associated urinary tract infection. A catheter is a tube that goes from the bladder to the urethra to drain urine from your body into a bag. 

This is done when you are suffering from urinary discomfort or other urinary issues, but it can lead to infection via the catheter. Urinary tract infections are a widespread form of HAI and are highly likely to occur.  

The last infection associated with a device or a procedure is ventilator-associated pneumonia. A ventilator is a typical machine that provides oxygen to your lungs. This machine has tubes on it, which get attached to your neck via a hole or directly through your mouth. 

A ventilator is a leading cause of pneumonia due to its design, since germs can enter your body with these tubes. 

Apart from being infected through devices or procedures, you can get infected through germs. Some common germs include:

This germ can lead to a very contagious type of diarrhea and even colon inflammation.  

This germ leads to an infection similar to pneumonia, meningitis, or even bloodstream infection

 Hepatitis germs can lead to viral infections that directly affect your liver and deteriorate your health. 

MRSA is an infection that can strongly resist common antibiotics, which include methicillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin.  

As you can read above, HAIs infections can become very serious and even lead to death sometimes, which is why treating HAIs is very important. The treatment for HAIs depends entirely on the infection, and once the root cause is determined, healthcare professionals can treat it accordingly. 

Mainly these infections are dealt with the help of antibiotics treatment, but some HAIs can get very difficult to treat, such as the ones caused by MRSA, since they are resistant to common antibiotics. 

However, there is a more innovative way to treat and prevent HAIs, including preventive measures. You can read all about them below. 

Healthcare-associated infections can occur when you are treated for a completely different condition, though they are easily avoidable. If patients, doctors, and visitors all follow the proper procedures and keep patient safety the priority, then HAIs can be significantly reduced. Following proper hygiene in your daily life is recommended as well.