Hospital-Acquired Infections: Key for Prevention and Clinical Bundles

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), nosocomial infections, or healthcare-associated infections are not present in patients at the time of admission to the hospital, and these infections are acquired during hospitalization or as a consequence of treatment during hospitalization and manifest after 48 h of hospitalization. According to the literature, around 4% of hospitalized patients suffer from HAIs. The major HAIs in acute settings are catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), surgical site infections (SSIs), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Other hospital-acquired infections which are not discussed here are MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and Clostridium difficile colitis. Over the last few decades, hospitals and medical institutions have been very careful and serious about hospital-acquired infections and established an infection tracking and surveillance system. Along with the treatment, robust prevention bundle strategies are applied to reduce the rate and incidence of hospital-acquired infections. Care bundles are evidence-based measures. When implemented, it has been shown to improve healthcare and have a much better impact than isolated measures. The major hospital-acquired infection prevention bundles are CRBSI, CAUTI, VAP, and SSI prevention bundles. These bundles are simple, clear, and concise. It decreases the major hospital-acquired infection with improved morbidity, mortality, and hospital course if effectively implemented.