Hospital-acquired infections are defined as any infection acquired during the hospitalization period, and even if the individual is hospitalized after discharge; these infections should be related to hospitalization and hospital procedures.
Acquiring an infection in the hospital is common because it is an environment in which many people are sick and treated with antibiotics. During the hospitalization period, some of the main factors that can cause infection include:
- Microorganisms that cause a hospital infection generally do not cause infections in other situations.
- But provide the environment with harmless bacterial times and weakening of the immune system to settle.
- Yet hospital bacteria cause serious and difficult-to-treat infections.
- But they are resistant to antibiotics because they are usually needed to use more potent antibiotics to cure this type of infection.
Health-related infections can be classified according to certain types of accuracy depending on the microorganism and the form of entry into the body, by:
It is important to identify the type of hospital infection for the Hospital Infection Control Board to take steps to prevent and control microorganisms in the hospital.
The Ministry of Health of each country decides that any environment for health care should be careful to prevent infections acquired in the hospital, in the hospital there must be a Commission on Infection Control and Prevention, which is made up of a group of health professionals such as doctors and nurses, who are responsible for studying the origins and causes of infections in this hospital and developing a prevention program to reduce infections as much as possible.
The important activities of this committee can be divided into
In order to reduce the rate of infection in a hospital, basic care should be provided to all patients, regardless of their diagnosis and treatment, and it is also important to encourage hospital discharge whenever possible, to avoid staying in the hospital for a long time. periods of time, as the chances of getting an infection increase over time.
The activities carried out by the Hospital Infection Control Commission are carried out with the main objective of promoting patient safety by taking measures that reduce the risk of infection, such as giving health assistants and medical equipment the right hand.
Hospital-acquired infections can be contracted in different parts of the world, although the most common types are:
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is severe and more common in hospitalized patients, making swallowing difficult due to the risk of food or saliva suction. In addition, people who use respiratory aids are less likely to get an infection in the hospital. Some bacteria are more common in this, sonic neuron type: Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Legionella, Mycoplasma, in addition to certain types of viruses.
Main symptoms: chest pain, yellow or bloody discharge, bloodthirsty, fatigue, fatigue, lack of appetite and shortness of air.
Urinary tract infection in the hospital is caused by the use of a urinary catheter during the period of internment, although anyone can develop, some of the bad bacteria involved in this situation are: Escherichia coli, Proteus sp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp. , Enterobacter sp. , Enterococcus faecalis and fungi like Candida sp.
Main symptoms: painful tingling, abdominal pain, bleeding throat, stiffness.
Skin infections are common thanks to: the application of injections into the veins of medicines, the collection of tests, the scar of surgery, biopsy or the formation of scars. Some of the microorganisms that cause this type of infection are: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella sp, Proteus sp, Enterobacter sp, Serratia sp, Streptococcus sp, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus epidermitis.
Main symptoms: there may be a reddish area and swelling in the area, with the presence of blisters, usually the area is painful and warm, being able to produce purulent and smelly secretions.
Bloodstream infection called sepsis usually occurs after infection of an area of the body that eventually spreads through the bloodstream. This type of serious infection, if not treated properly, can lead to the loss of several organs and a risk of death. it can spread through the blood and some of the most common are: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermitis and Candida.
Main symptoms: cold, dying, pressure drop, weak heartbeat, drowsiness.
There are other types of intrahospital infections, but they are less common and affect different areas of the body, such as the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, genitals, eyes and ears. Any hospital infection should be quickly identified and treated with powerful antibiotics. , to avoid further damage and injury to the person’s life, as the symptom of this situation must be communicated to the responsible physician.
Anyone can develop an infection acquired in the hospital, but the biggest risk is the one with the weakest immune system, such as:
Also, most of the time, the longer hospitalization time is the risk of contracting an intrahospital infection, which is more exposed to the microorganisms responsible.