Infection Control in Surgical Practice

Abstract

Health care–associated infections (HAIs) are those that are acquired while patients are being treated for another condition in the health care setting. HAIs are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, with 75,000 deaths attributable to HAIs each year. This review outlines the evolution of HAI as a quality metric and introduces key governmental and professional organization stakeholders. The role of the local infection control program is also discussed. Using the example of surgical site infection, we detail the multitude of factors that contribute to the occurrence of an HAI, evidence-based preventive strategies, and systems-based programs to reduce preventable infections. Specific diagnostic criteria and preventive strategies are also introduced for catheter-associated urinary tract infection, central line–associated bloodstream infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia, Clostridium difficile infection, and various multidrug-resistant organisms. This review contains 3 figures, 9 tables, and 74 references. Key words: catheter-associated urinary tract infection, central line–associated bloodstream infection, Clostridium difficile, hospital-acquired infection, infection, quality, surgical site infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia