Hospital Acquired Infection Analysis
Effects of hospital-acquired infections in public hospitals of low-income countries
Hospital-acquired or nosocomial or healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are those which are transmitted to the patients during their treatment in a hospital or any other healthcare facility but which are not present or incubating before admission (Bagheri Nejad, Allegranzi, Syed, Ellis, & Pittet, 2011). Patients in low-income countries mostly depend on the public hospitals for their treatment, whereas public hospitals, due to their resource-poor health-care settings sometimes play a vital role in spreading HAIs.
Hospital-acquired infection is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in a hospital or any other health-care facility and both the patients and the health-care providers can be affected by it (Bates, Larizgoitia, Prasopa-Plaizier, & Jha, 2009; Burke, 2003). In terms of the developing countries, the actual scenario about the prevalence of HAI is difficult to understand due to their resource-poor hospital settings which limit the proper surveillance of HAI transmission (Allegranzi & Pittet, 2008). But a recent analysis made by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010 indicates that the overall scenario is much worse than the developed countries. Intensive care unit (ICU) related HAI transmission rate in low-income countries is at least …show more content…
two-three times higher than that of high-income countries (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Device-associated nosocomial infection prevalence rate in low-income countries is almost thirteen times higher than that of United States of America (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Neonates in low-income countries sometimes have twenty percent more chances of developing HAIs than those of high-income countries (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Being a low-income country it is not always possible to stick to the international protocols for the safe health-care delivery system. Even minor surgical procedures like caesarean section and appendectomy in those countries are now being treated as potential sources of transmission of HAIs (Mawalla, Mshana, Chalya, Imirzalioglu, & Mahalu, 2011; Abdel-aziz et al., 2013). But a few cost-effective interventions, if adopted, can minimise the rate of HAI transmission at least to some extent in the public hospitals of the aforementioned countries.
HAIs increase patient’s duration of stay in the hospital which, in turn, increases the likelihood of contracting another infection which again increases their morbidity (Delgado-Rodriguez et al., 1990). Thus their hospital charge also increases as they have to bear the cost of additional diagnostic and therapeutic interventions (Glynn et al., 1997).
HAIs are sometimes associated with some of the most resistant bacteria which warrant the use of some of the most expensive anti-microbial drugs and this can be a huge economic burden for the affected patient’s family (Hearn et al., 2017).
Cephalosporin is a low-cost antimicrobial drug which is used to treat HAIs. A study conducted by Hearn et al., (2017) in a Cambodian paediatric hospital revealed that third-generation cephalosporin (antimicrobial drug) which is used to treat HAIs are being replaced by a more expensive antimicrobial, carbapenem due to the increasing resistance of some HAI-causing bacteria to
cephalosporin.
It’s a shame that patients seeking care in the hospital, are contracting life-threatening nosocomial infections. A recent study suggested that if appropriate measures can be adopted to control the spread of infections in a health-care setting, then up to seventy percent of all of the HAIs can be prevented (Harbarth, Sax & Gastmeier, 2003). Now is the time to conduct more in-depth surveys of the public hospitals of low-income countries to assess the proper scenario and to reach effective solutions regarding prevention of HAIs which is of paramount importance.
Hospital-acquired or nosocomial or healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are those which are transmitted to the patients during their treatment in a hospital or any other healthcare facility but which are not present or incubating before admission (Bagheri Nejad, Allegranzi, Syed, Ellis, & Pittet, 2011). Patients in low-income countries mostly depend on the public hospitals for their treatment, whereas public hospitals, due to their resource-poor health-care settings sometimes play a vital role in spreading HAIs.
Hospital-acquired infection is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in a hospital or any other health-care facility and both the patients and the health-care providers can be affected by it (Bates, Larizgoitia, Prasopa-Plaizier, & Jha, 2009; Burke, 2003). In terms of the developing countries, the actual scenario about the prevalence of HAI is difficult to understand due to their resource-poor hospital settings which limit the proper surveillance of HAI transmission (Allegranzi & Pittet, 2008). But a recent analysis made by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010 indicates that the overall scenario is much worse than the developed countries. Intensive care unit (ICU) related HAI transmission rate in low-income countries is at least …show more content…
two-three times higher than that of high-income countries (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Device-associated nosocomial infection prevalence rate in low-income countries is almost thirteen times higher than that of United States of America (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Neonates in low-income countries sometimes have twenty percent more chances of developing HAIs than those of high-income countries (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Being a low-income country it is not always possible to stick to the international protocols for the safe health-care delivery system. Even minor surgical procedures like caesarean section and appendectomy in those countries are now being treated as potential sources of transmission of HAIs (Mawalla, Mshana, Chalya, Imirzalioglu, & Mahalu, 2011; Abdel-aziz et al., 2013). But a few cost-effective interventions, if adopted, can minimise the rate of HAI transmission at least to some extent in the public hospitals of the aforementioned countries.
HAIs increase patient’s duration of stay in the hospital which, in turn, increases the likelihood of contracting another infection which again increases their morbidity (Delgado-Rodriguez et al., 1990). Thus their hospital charge also increases as they have to bear the cost of additional diagnostic and therapeutic interventions (Glynn et al., 1997).
HAIs are sometimes associated with some of the most resistant bacteria which warrant the use of some of the most expensive anti-microbial drugs and this can be a huge economic burden for the affected patient’s family (Hearn et al., 2017).
Cephalosporin is a low-cost antimicrobial drug which is used to treat HAIs. A study conducted by Hearn et al., (2017) in a Cambodian paediatric hospital revealed that third-generation cephalosporin (antimicrobial drug) which is used to treat HAIs are being replaced by a more expensive antimicrobial, carbapenem due to the increasing resistance of some HAI-causing bacteria to
cephalosporin.
It’s a shame that patients seeking care in the hospital, are contracting life-threatening nosocomial infections. A recent study suggested that if appropriate measures can be adopted to control the spread of infections in a health-care setting, then up to seventy percent of all of the HAIs can be prevented (Harbarth, Sax & Gastmeier, 2003). Now is the time to conduct more in-depth surveys of the public hospitals of low-income countries to assess the proper scenario and to reach effective solutions regarding prevention of HAIs which is of paramount importance.