Prevention of Nosocomial Infections

Abstract

Nosocomial infection and the importance of its prevention where first recognised by Dr. Ingaz Semmelweis in the 1850s, who discovered the effect of hand washing and disinfectant. Nowadays, nosocomial infections are a common cause of mortality and morbidity affecting 5-10 % of all hospitalised patients. It is further a major economical burden, estimated to cost $ 4,5 billion per year in the USA. The most common diseases occurring in hospitalised patients are urinary tract infections, pnemonia (VAP and HAP), catheter related bloodstream infections, surgical site infections and gastroenteritis. The most frequent and most important causative agents of these infections are Gram positive (Staphylococci, Enterococci) and Gram negatives (Enterobactericae, Pseudomonas, Actinobacter) bacterie. There are different types of patient affected, but in general do they have one or more risk factors. These risk factors include immunocompromised host, prolonged hospital stay, severe underlying ilness, need for frequent medical intervention, prolonged treatment with antibiotica or the presence of invasive device, catheter or endotracheal tube. Previous antibiotic treatment is also a risk because it impairs normal symbiotic bacterial flora and allowing colonisation with multiresistant strains (MDR). Thus, ICU patient are...