HAI Types

Guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) provide recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

A safety team at a Canadian hospital determined there was too much traffic in and out of the operating room (OR) during total joint replacement procedures.  So they implemented several strategies to reduce traffic, which may have contribu

In its first test among orthopedic surgery patients as a feasible tool for enhancing care and reducing surgical site infections (SSIs), an automated text and voice messaging system improved communication about the preventive steps patient

The reporting of any type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is difficult.  First, it indicates our patients have experienced a complication. Second, for an acute-care facility, we consistently have a low denominator; therefore any HAI has a significant impact on an infection rate that is publically reportable. This hospital was pleased to report an infection rate of zero for catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) for more than two years.  Unfortunately, in 2015, three of our patients experienced a CAUTI which dramatically increased the reported infection rate and raised important concerns. Urinary tract infections are the most common type of HAI reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network, with more than 75 percent of those UTIs being catheter associated. The literature tells us that the impact of these infections includes increased length of stay, increased costs, unnecessary antimicrobial use, and is the leading cause of secondary bloodstream infections which results in increased mortality rates. Determining the cause for the increase in infections experienced at this facility and developing strategies to decrease these HAIs became a priority.