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Invited speaker and faculty at major medical conferences and workshops, nationally and internationally). Poor personal hygiene, both in patients and healthcare workers, poor sanitation facilities, overdependence on antibiotics, limited clinical and laboratory testing facilities and poor infection control have led to the emergence of multidrug resistant infections. The best thing you can do as an informed patient is to ask your doctor about the measures the hospital is taking to keep you safe.These HAIs are a result of prolonged and sometimes inappropriate use of invasive devices, people whose self-defence mechanisms are weak (conditions like diabetes, renal failure, HIV and immunosuppressive treatment), high-risk and sophisticated procedures, and inadequate or improper isolation practices.Some of the methods that patients themselves can actively follow, to help prevent HAIs, include:Be informed.Follow strict hygienic measures. ICUs are the most common locations to develop HAIs.Over the past several years, some large private and government hospitals have participated in understanding and estimating the prevalence and spread of these infections to gain greater insight on this highly problematic issue and eventually help in the preparation of improved healthcare policies.Restrict unnecessary visitors — lesser the people, lesser the germs.5 billion. However, HAI doesn’t include infections that were developing, prior to the time of admission.What we can doSome of the methods that healthcare facilities can incorporate to help prevent HAIs:Monitoring patient safety actively and reporting any infections. In fact, in 2016, Indian Council for Medical Research issued guidelines for such infection control. In India, exact figures are unknown due to a scarcity of reliable data, but are more likely to be higher.

That said, in Mexican ICUs, a single healthcare infection resulted in loss of $12,555 in revenues, while in Argentina these episodes create an expense of around $5,000 each.What are healthcare associated infections (HAI)?HAI are infections which develop in patients after admission at a healthcare facility or those acquired in hospital but appear after discharge. HAIs not only prolong hospital stays, but cause long-term disabilities for patients, create resistant streams of bacteria in hospital environments and lead to preventable deaths in some cases.(The author, a DM from Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai in 1995, is currently Chief Gastroen-terologist and Head of Institute of Gastrosciences, Apollo BGS Hospitals, Myso-re. The virus outbreak was found to be caused by the reuse of contaminated needles. While my patient and his mother suffered from increased suffering and additional costs, consequences of hospital acqui-red infections are not limited to these.Improved training and independent monitoring of healthcare workers in common standardised procedures like the placement of intravenous or urinary catheters, surgical site wound management and ventilator handlingIncreasing resources like administrative staff and laboratory facilities for monitoring and control of infections.In addition, autonomous bodies like National Accreditation Board of Hospitals include HAI surveillance and prevention as a core part of their certification and review process.

They are a massive financial burden to families and healthcare systems.In 2009, a Hepatitis B epidemic occurred in Modasa, northern Gujarat. Results of these infections could be extremely grave and fatal, too.Awareness programmes about problems of infections in hospitals and benefits of following the preventive methods for hospital visitors and general public.A patient recounted to me that his mother was once admitted for a fracture repair of a bone in her leg. Whenever you or your loved one is hospitalised there is always a possibility of infections. Ask your doctor about the possible infections and their symptoms that can develop in your case. In the United States, these costs increase dramatically to $ 16. WHO figures show HAIs in Europe cause increased healthcare costs to the tune of a whopping $8 billion. These infections come at an elevated cost to patients, their families and healthcare institutions.Request all healthcare workers to wash hands before touching you.If you notice any symptoms, IMMEDIATELY bring it to the notice of your doctor, so that it can be treated in the early stages. While the case throws light on extreme impacts of healthcare associated infections (HAI), we often gloss over the ongoing risk of infections occurring in hospitals routinely. If we look at a breakdown of HAIs by countries; developed countries have 7 in 100 patients who suffer from these infections; while developing countries unfortunately boast double that figure. Common infections among hospitalised patients, especially in ICUs, include bloodstream infections due to central intravenous lines, urinary infections due to catheters, diarrhoea due to the prolonged use of China Traffic Safety Manufacturers antibiotics, and pneumonia while on ventilators. Over 125 people were infected and up to 49 people died. However, things are slowly, but surely changing. As a country, we recognise the need for policy and guidance documents to prevent such infections and implement control measures. She was successfully operated on and was discharged promptly.Although high-quality data is scarce, available data shows prevalence of such infections in developing countries, including India, to be around 15 per 100 patients.Increasing opportunity for training healthcare workers regarding implementation of infection control measures.Some common Healthcare Associated InfectionsIn modern healthcare, many procedures require the use of invasive devices and antibiotics to control infections. Hospitals further increase the risk of HAIs by overcrowding, poor hygiene practices, improper waste disposal, insufficient equipment, understaffing, and poor understanding of infection control measures. In low- and middle-income countries there are no definite estimates, due to more scattered populations and haphazard or low data collection programmes. Three days later, she developed a fever and burning sensation while urinating.HAI in developing countries and IndiaIndia, along with other developing countries, faces unique problems that are uncommon in the developed world. She was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, which she got during catheterisation during and immediately after the surgery in hospital. This is more than double the rate that is found in developed countries. We still need to combat problems including poor resources, poor nurse to patient ratios, and inadequate training among doctors and nurses regarding the importance of nosocomial (hospital acqui-red) infection control. In USA, approximately 99,000 deaths every year can be attributed to such infections