Nosocomial infection

Nosocomial infection, also known as hospital-acquired infection or healthcare-associated infection (HAI), is an infection that is contracted from the environment or staff of a healthcare facility. It can be spread in the hospital environment, nursing home environment, rehabilitation facility, clinic, or other clinical settings. Infection is considered nosocomial if it first appears 48 hours or more after hospital admission or within 30 days after having received healthcare.

Causes

Nosocomial infections are caused by a wide variety of microorganisms, but the most common are bacteria. The infections can result from several factors, including the nature of the medical procedure, the patient's underlying disease, and even the increased use of outpatient treatment.

Types

There are several types of nosocomial infections, including:

• Urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Surgical site infection (SSI)
• Gastroenteritis
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia

Prevention

Prevention of nosocomial infections involves strict adherence to sanitation and hygiene protocols, including hand hygiene, sterilization of equipment, and isolation of patients with communicable diseases.

Treatment

Treatment of nosocomial infections depends on the causative agent. It often involves antibiotics, but the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a growing concern in the management of such infections.

See also

• Infection control
• Hospital epidemiology
• Antibiotic resistance

Nosocomial infection Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia