Article

Hospital epidemiology and infection control in acute-care settings.

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Clinical microbiology reviews (impact factor: 14.69). 01/2011; 24(1):141-73. DOI:10.1128/CMR.00027-10 pp.141-73
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Health care-associated infections (HAIs) have become more common as medical care has grown more complex and patients have become more complicated. HAIs are associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. Growing rates of HAIs alongside evidence suggesting that active surveillance and infection control practices can prevent HAIs led to the development of hospital epidemiology and infection control programs. The role for infection control programs has grown and continues to grow as rates of antimicrobial resistance rise and HAIs lead to increasing risks to patients and expanding health care costs. In this review, we summarize the history of the development of hospital epidemiology and infection control, common HAIs and the pathogens causing them, and the structure and role of a hospital epidemiology and infection control program.

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Keywords

active surveillance
 
antimicrobial resistance rise
 
common
 
common HAIs
 
Growing rates
 
HAIs
 
HAIs lead
 
health care costs
 
Health care-associated infections
 
hospital epidemiology
 
infection control practices
 
infection control program
 
infection control programs
 
pathogens
 
patients
 
rates
 
significant morbidity