Healthcare Associated Infections

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Recommended: Nosocomial Infections

Introduction

Nosocomial infections also known as healthcare associated infections (HAI’s) are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for another condition in a healthcare facility. In 2011, there were an estimated 722,000 HAIs in U.S acute care hospitals and of those about 75,000 died (CDC, 2014).The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates the financial burden attributable to HAIs to be between $28 billion to $33 billion each year.

The thousands of people who die yearly and the heavy financial burden caused by HAIs, proves that there is still a lot of room for improving the current quality control processes which are in place to curb HAIs.

Quality control process of CSVRMC.

In writing this paper, this student nurse chosed Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center (CSVRMC) in Santa Fe, NM. It is NM’s oldest hospital, the only level III trauma center in Northern NM and the largest hospital north of Albuquerque NM and south of Pueblo, Colorado.

CSVRMC quality control process is evidenced based and it’s sanctioned by The Joint Commission. CHRISTUS St. Vincent has an infectious disease physician called Michael Palestine MD working with them to control the threats posed by HAIs. Their quality control process against HAIs involves wearing of protective clothing, gloves, and eye shields when appropriate. Hand washing before and after patient care is a “must” and hand sanitizers are available at the door of every patient’s room and are to be used by staff going in and out of the room. Patients and relations are also encouraged to practice hand washing before and after visits. Neutropenic precautions are also instituted as the case may warrant.

Tools for assessing quality control standards at...

... middle of paper ...

...delphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hospital Compare. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2014, from Medicare.gov website: http://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/compare.html#cmprTab=3&cmprID=320002%2C320001%2C320021&lat=35.616067&lng=-105.8525154&loc=87505

Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs). (2014, March 26). Retrieved April 8, 2014, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/surveillance/index.html

Bundle to Prevent Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2014, from International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) website: http://www.inicc.org/pdfs/ingles/VAPandCLABBundle.pdf

Infectious Disease Services. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2014, from CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center website: http://www.stvin.org/infectious-disease-services

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