Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: COVID-19, healthcare-associated infections, infection prevention, patient safety, outcomesHealthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) occur in individuals while receiving medical care in a healthcare facility.These infections are often preventable.According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1.7 million hospitalized patients acquire HCAIs per year while being treated for other health-related problems; one out of these seventeen infected patients die as a result of HCAIs (1), which is one of the top ten causes of death in the U.S. Around 7% of patients in high-income nations and 10% in emerging and developing nations acquire HCAIs, and 10% of those patients pass away (1).The rate of HCAIs is higher among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, mostly due to their immunocompromised status (2, 3).Of relevance, the higher risk of mortality among patients in the ICU is not only limited to their primary illness but is often amalgamated with HCAIs.The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the danger of HCAIs and the need for rigorous infection control measures in healthcare settings.A survey of 11,282 patients in various U.S. hospitals identified Clostridium difficile as the major cause of HCAIs (4).Another study on a large cohort found more than 2 million new patients developing HCAIs with antimicrobial resistance to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter species per year, in the European Union and European Economic Area (5).Bloodstream infection, urinary tract infection, surgical site infection, and pneumonia are identified as the most common causes of HCAIs (Figure 1) (6, 7).Bloodstream infections in ICU and hemodialysis centers are common, and around US$ 1.8 billion was spent in a decade in early 2000 to save more than 25,000 patients (8).Surgical site infection is a common postoperative complication with higher morbidity and mortality that comes with a financial burden to the patients and the care providers (9).Urinary tract infections, particularly catheter-induced infections, are among the most common causes of HCAIs, comprising around 40% of HCAIs, with higher fatality (10).Implants and prostheses can also induce HCAIs.The increased rate of HCAIs with higher numbers of antimicrobial resistance significantly burdens healthcare costs, particularly affecting low-resource countries more (11).Additionally, exacerbating antimicrobial resistance is another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic (12-14).Although antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, including COVID-19, many COVID-19 patients have received antibiotics as a cautionary measure, causing an unnecessary use of antibiotics and the development of antimicrobial resistance, thereby making HCAIs more challenging to treat (15).The available evidence suggests an association between COVID-19 and an increase in HCAIs.A primary concern during the COVID-19 pandemic is that patients were at a higher risk of acquiring the infection while receiving care in a healthcare facility.The proximity of infected healthcare individuals, the COVID-19 patients in healthcare settings, and the potential for healthcare worker-mediated transmission can increase HCAIs.A CDC analysis found a continued increase in HCAIs in U.S. hospitals during
Source: Frontiers in Health Services
Author: Mohammed S. Razzaque
Institution: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,125
OpenAlex ID: W4389091985