Hospital Infections Lead to Growing Revenues for Control Companies

Kalorama Information says the market for treating infections that develop in patients as a result of hospital or long-term care is worth about $14.5 billion for 2015, including facility and instrument cleansing, screening for microorganisms, and ultimately treatment of infected patients.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 1 in 20 or 5 percent of hospitalized patients will contract an HAI.  Worldwide, the rate of nosocomial infections is between 3.5% and 12% of admissions in developed regions.  These statistics are driving companies that offer healthcare providers solutions. Kalorama Information made the finding in its latest report Hospital-Acquired Infection (HAI) Control Market (Disinfection, Sterilization, Treatment, Testing).         "The infection control market is in all probability a secure growth market," says Melissa Elder, analyst for Kalorama Information and the author of the report.  "As long as there are infections there will always be a need for controlling these infections.  It is a fact that diseases evolve and that new approaches to preventing, diagnosing and treating will be required for the long-term."    Kalorama notes that the growing awareness of these infections has resulted in improved testing procedures, prevention measures, and speedy treatment.  In recent years there have been improved methods for testing infected patients. For example, testing for MRSA infections can be done via a nostril swab, now an effective option in detecting bacteria. Admission screening has been effective in some areas and has reduced the spread of MRSA infections in hospitals in the United States and some European countries. In some European countries, including the United Kingdom, screening for aggressive infections such as MRSA is performed in many hospitals upon admission.    For the past 60 years, antibiotic drugs have turned bacterial infections into treatable conditions rather than the life-threatening scourges they once were. However, the effectiveness of many antibiotics is waning dramatically, as more and more types of bacteria become resistant to them.  Anti-infective agents are commonly used in clinical practice to treat infection due to a pathogen. The term anti-infective can be used to describe antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-parasitic, anti-protozoal, anti-leprotic, and anti-tuberculous agents. The desired therapeutic outcome with anti-infectives is to eradicate infection while avoiding drug-induced toxicity.     "Growing resistance is forcing the industry to re-evaluate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment plans for patients in hospitals and other inpatient facilities," Elder says. "Additionally, when financing for healthcare is limited, paying for conditions like preventable HAIs becomes more of an issue."   Source: Kalorama Information