One of the most challenging health problems is getting infected in the hospital. Although hospital may be the furthest place you can get sick, about 10 to 20% of admitted patients in India get infections.

Worse, the misuse of antibiotics to treat these infections has led to the development of resistance among germs, increasing the burden of disease in hospitals.

Hospital-acquired infections, also known as nosocomial infections, are infections that patients acquire during their stay in health care facilities, such as hospitals or clinics, that were not present at the time of admission or are not developing. Were. This infection can be caused by both patients or health workers.

Every year lakhs of patients are affected by it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a survey conducted in 55 hospitals in 14 countries showed that an average of 8.7% of hospital patients had nosocomial infections.

At any one time, more than 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from hospital-acquired infectious complications, according to the health agency.

In India, the burden of hospital-acquired infection is significant, with studies showing infection rates in intensive care units (ICUs) of 11–25%.

Treating hospital-acquired infections requires longer hospital stays, increased diagnostic testing, and more intensive treatments such as the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

The most common types of hospital-acquired infections include urinary tract infections (UTIs), surgical site infections, pneumonia such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, and bloodstream infections.

India is among the countries with the highest burden of hospital-associated resistant infections, according to a study in PLOS Medicine.

Infections caused by drug-resistant bacterial pathogens are common; these pathogens show resistance to one or more antimicrobial agents, leading to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

According to the study, 136 million hospital-acquired infections (HARIs) occur globally every year, with China (52 million), Pakistan (10 million) and India (9 million) experiencing the highest numbers.

Here are five key precautions to avoid hospital-acquired infections based on the Indian Council of Medical Research’s hospital infection control guidelines:

• Hand Hygiene: Regular and thorough hand washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers is important to prevent the spread of infection.
• Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Wearing appropriate PPE such as gloves, masks, gowns, and eye protection helps protect both healthcare workers and patients from potential infections1.
• Proper sterilization and disinfection: Ensuring that all medical equipment and surfaces are properly sterilized and disinfected reduces the risk of spreading infection.
• Safe Injection Practices: Using sterile needles and syringes for each injection and their proper disposal after use prevents infections related to needle stick injuries.
• Isolation of infected patients: Isolating patients with infectious infections in designated areas helps prevent the spread of infection to other patients and healthcare workers.